the grapes for this immense, rich blueberry jammy syrah come from nfl's john madden's ranch. it's as big and loud as he can be, with not quite enough fruit or acid to overcome the alcohol, which even gets in the way of the nose. with a small percentage of grenache blended in and the whole aged in 100% american oak (1/3 new), this style may appeal to some;, but can be interpreted as overly voluptuous, even on a second tasting eight hours after the first. decant or, preferably, give it another 3–5 years.
Madden Ranch