June 30, 2008
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
"Several attractive efforts from El Dorado include the Holly's Hill 2005 Patriarch Proprietary Red, a blend of 40% Mouvedre, 36% Syrah and the rest Grenache and Counoise. This sexy, soft, earthy, berry fruit driven wine possesses plenty of spice and pepper notes. Attractive, medium-bodied, and meant for near-term consumption, it is a tasty California interpretation of a French Cotes du Rhone.
The medium-bodied 2005 Syrah Wylie-Fenaughty Vineyard exhibits plenty of black currant and cherry characteristics along with notions of loam soil, damp earth, pepper and roasted herbs. It represents a reasonably good value. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. While straight forward and one-dimensional, the 2007 Viognier Holly''s Hill Vineyard will provide pleasant, uncritical quaffing over the next year."
- 2005 Patriarche 88 Points
- 2005 Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah 87 Points
- 2007 Viognier 85 Points
