Alexander Valley in Sonoma has been a long-time favorite region for me and my husband. No other winery epitomizes this slice of Heaven more than Alexander Valley Vineyards (AVV). Over the years, we have hosted several tastings featuring the portfolio of AVV. Their flagship wine, Cyrus, is still one of the best, big, bold reds out there, not to mention a great value when compared to the ridiculously increasing price of Napa wines.
Cyrus and AVV
Cyrus, a Bordeaux red blend with Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant grape, was named after Cyrus Alexander, an early settler of Sonoma County in the 1800s. The winery, founded by the Wetzel family, is located on land owned by Cyrus, which the Wetzels purchased in 1962. What I love about AVV is that it feels like old school California wine country. Driving up to the tasting room, you can almost visualize 1960s era Sonoma Valley. It’s a reminder of how the wine region used to feel when you could walk into any winery without an appointment and have wine poured by the winemaker.
The Vertical
AVV recently offered a six-vintage vertical of Cyrus. When we saw the vertical offering, we knew this would be a special experience. It included vintages from 2013-2018, all of which were incredibly good years in the valley. The percentage of Cab varied for each vintage, ranging from 46% to 70%, with Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot making up the remainder of the composition.
The Tasting
With 6 bottles we knew this would be an experience best shared with others, and my husband decided to plan a VIP tasting for clients of Fiscal Designs, his financial services firm. He ordered the vertical and it arrived in a beautiful logo-embossed wooden crate, which was the perfect way to showcase such a prized collection of bottles.
On a beautiful breezy, early spring afternoon, we hosted an alfresco tasting for a small group. The only rule we had for the tasting was that everyone rate each one as we slowly swirled, sipped, and savored each vintage. What makes tastings like this so interesting is how everyone’s palates differ and each person experiences the wine from their own perspective.
The Results
Some vintages had solid agreement on ratings (the 2013 and 2018), and others were across the board (2015 and 2016). Regardless, they all were beautiful representations of Alexander Valley fruit and everyone agreed that they all had winning qualities. Here is a synopsized review of the wines, which reflects the average score from all tasters and their collective notes.
- 2013: 92 points
Silky tannins, balanced, bold and smooth. Complex dark fruits and a long finish. - 2014: 90 points
Softer fruit, shorter finish than the 2013. Slightly tighter tannic structure. Hints of oak. - 2015: 89 points
Dark fruit aromatics, and slightly bitter on the palate. Lingering, yet “hot,” finish. - 2016: 91 points
Good complexity, and almost velvety, with layers of dark fruit and herbal notes. - 2017: 93 points
Full and rich on the palate, with a bit of mocha or chocolate – a bit like a chocolate covered cherry. - 2018: 93 points
Dark fruit, plum, slightly herbaceous, accented with spice and herbal notes.
The Day After
So that we could see how the wine holds over, we saved a bit from each bottle to try the next day. All of them held up well and it was a surprise to see how my ratings changed. For example, the 2016 and 2017 received my top ratings on day 1, but my lowest on day 2. And, my lowest rated on day 1, the 2015, moved to first place on the second day!
This is why it’s important when you do taste a wine, that you know when the winery opened the bottle. All too often, I hear so many people, myself included, say “I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought that bottle!” Most wines do change overnight — some for the better, and some, not so much.
How to Find Cyrus
If you want to give Cyrus a try, some local retailers, such as Total Wine, may have it in stock. You can also visit the winery’s web site at www.avvwine.com.