Critical Acclaim
Download Stephen Tanzer May ’11 Reviews for Current Vintages
Download Stephen Tanzer May ’08 Reviews for 2006 Vintages
2009 Flanagan Chardonnay
Rating: (89 points, Above Average)
(entirely from Farina Vineyard fruit): Bright yellow-gold color. Musky aromas of orange blossom, apricot, butterscotch and honeysuckle. Fat and silky in the mouth, with very ripe flavors of exotic fruits and caramel supported by a hint of minerality. Finishes with a slight warmth.
2008 Flanagan Syrah
Rating: (91 points, Outstanding)
(from a steep, southwest-facing slope; 100% destemmed, then fermented and aged in all new barrels): Good bright ruby. Aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and gunflint reminded me of Hermitage. Dense, lush and fine-grained, with just enough acidity to provide shape to the dark fruit and licorice flavors. Shows its rocky soil. Lots of personality here. Finishes with broad tannins and excellent persistence. This manages to carry off its high pH of 4.0.
2007 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: (92 points, Outstanding)
(from a south-facing rocky slope): Good deep ruby. Dark fruits, smoke, mocha, crushed stone and a whiff of meat on the nose. Broad, lush and sweet, with a seamless texture to the black raspberry and plum fruit flavors. Impressively broad, suave wine with a smooth finish featuring very fine tannins. There’s a chocolatey richness here without any roasted character. This fruit was harvested on October 15 and 18, according to winemaker Philippe Melka.
2006 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: (91-93 points, Outstanding)
(includes 5% merlot) Saturated ruby. Pungent, high-pitched aromas of blueberry, black cherry, minerals and black pepper. Sweet, lush and perfumed in the mouth, with a tactile feel and very good ripeness to the black cherry fruit. Finishes with broad tannins and excellent length and aromatic lift. This will be the first commercial release from a rocky, south-facing vineyard planted in 1999. Bennett Valley is a fairly temperate section of Sonoma County in which a lot of syrah has been planted in recent years, but not much cabernet.
2006 Flanagan Syrah
Rating: (90-93 points, Outstanding)
(100% barrel-fermented) Rather wild aromas of dark fruits, bacon fat, minerals, menthol and licorice. Distinctly musky and carnal on the palate, with supple, fine-grained black fruit flavors complicated by minerals, brown spices and truffle. Large-scaled, pliant and superripe (15.9% alcohol, with a pH of 4.0) but with firm tannic spine. A bit youthfully aggressive today, but boasts good grip. Very distinctive syrah from three-year-old vines cropped low-clearly a name to watch.
Download Robert Parker Reviews
2010 Flanagan Russian River Chardonnay
Rating: (91 points, Above Average)
Drink: 2012-2015
The Flanagan’s 2010 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is rich, buttery and beautifully balanced. Tropical fruit, smoke, spices, melon and flowers are layered into the gorgeous finish.
2010 Flanagan Sonoma County Chardonnay
Rating: (89 points, Above Average)
Drink: 2012-2015
The 2010 Chardonnay Sonoma County comes across as lush and rich. Oranges, flowers, honey, mint and French oak are some of the notes that come together in this decidedly ripe, flashy wine.
2008 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: (91 points, Above Average)
Drink: 2014-2023
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts notable intensity and power from start to finish. Brooding and powerful, the 2008 emerges from the glass with black fruit, smoke, licorice, tar and earthiness.
2008 Flanagan Estate Syrah
Rating: (92 points, Outstanding)
Drink: 2013-2023
The 2008 Estate Syrah is gorgeous. Juicy black cherries, plums, spices, licorice and bacon fat are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass as the wine shows off its pedigree and class. Layers of fruit build to the rich, expressive finish. The 2008 impresses for its striking perfume, depth and overall balance.
2007 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: (91-93 points, Outstanding)
Drink: 2008-2023
Revealing more charcoal, black currant, and new oak characteristics along with the earthiness that comes from this site, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep and full-bodied with an impressive texture as well as sweet, soft, silky tannins. It, too, should drink well for 15+ years.
2007 Flanagan Syrah
Rating: (89-91 points, Above Average)
Drink: 2008-2016
The 2007 Syrah, which is not as good as the 2006, is double that production. It exhibits good density and ripeness, but not the complexity, weight, richness, or exuberance of the 2006. Nevertheless, it is a pretty wine made in a distinctive earthy, northern Rhone-like style. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.
2006 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: (92 points, Outstanding)
Drink: 2008-2023
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a lovely blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, all from Bennett Valley’s high elevation vineyards. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by notes of crushed rocks, scorched earth, espresso, blackberries, and blue fruits. Deep, chewy, super-ripe, and long, it can be enjoyed over the next 15+ years. As is often the case with top-notch wines, quantities of these cuvees made by Philippe Melka for proprietor Eric Flanagan are relatively small. There are about 500 cases of each Cabernet Sauvignon.
2006 Flanagan Syrah
Rating: (94 points, Outstanding)
Drink: 2008-2016
The stunning 2006 Syrah is a killer wine. It possesses a northern Rhone-like bouquet of earth, bacon fat, black currants, pepper, and coffee aromas, along with full body, a gorgeous texture, dazzling purity, admirable length, and no hard edges. Sadly, only several barrels were produced, but it will provide lovely drinking over the next 7-8 years.
Download The Four Coursemen Reviews
2006 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon
“The first thing we noticed is that the color is gorgeous. The nose was big and full of very dense fruit and wood smells exemplified by Patrick asking “Who rubbed the all the prune juice and brown sugar on my mom’s cedar chest?” We also noticed some earthiness and some baking spice flavors in the wine. It was well balanced and the consensus was that it was just as complex as a great French Cabernet (which is saying a lot as far as I’m concerned) but with the volume turned up all around. It is an extravagant and wonderful wine.”
2007 Flanagan Syrah
“This wine was as equally complex as the Cabernet, but in different way. Matt noticed some of the smells of the wine reminded him of some of the cured meats and sausages that he’s been working on. On top of those smells I noticed some black pepper and Patrick and Damien noted plum and black cherry as the major fruit presences. The Syrah was a tiny bit lighter and brighter than the Cabernet, but it was still a hugely flavored and exuberant wine. It has a wonderful depth and meatiness and is a wonderful example of California Syrah.”