Today we have for you the impressive, approachable Canihan 2012 Exuberance Sonoma County Syrah.

This wine is elegant and packed with flavor, but also very well balanced and not heavy-handed in any respect. It’s a very flavorful Syrah, to be sure, but it balances this with a fruitiness and an earthiness that coexist in perfect harmony.

Dark fruit aromas are first to greet you on the nose, with black currant, blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and plum. As you drive your nose deeper into the glass (you won’t be able to help it, this wine smells so good!) aromas of coffee bean, leather, cured meat, spice and oak emerge.

A plethora of fine flavors pour onto the palate, with blueberry compote, blackberry, smoked meats, supple leather, soft spice and a hint of white pepper.

Great for those that like juicy and flavorful wines, this is also a wine that reveals changing flavors and mouthfeel as it takes the air, which provides an interesting lesson in just how much a wine can evolve in the decanter or the glass with just a little exposure to the atmosphere.

Enjoy this wine with our very best recommendation.

~

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

93 points & Gold Medal - Beverage Testing Institute - “Bright medium black ruby color. Delicate, nutty, fruity aromas of dark berry pie and macadamia gelato with a soft, lively, dryish medium body and a warming, medium-length cherries, chocolate nuts, roasted tomato, and cedar finish with fine tannins and moderate oak. A tasty and refreshing Syrah that is very versatile.”