2003 Stryker Sonoma E1k Sonoma County
This was our final bottle of Stryker Sonoma wine. We’ve been members of their wine club for ages but, taking my own advice about clubs, it is time to move on. I still enjoy Stryker wines quite well. I’m just cash poor and want to focus on my new darling, pinot noir, with what I’ve got.
I’d been saving this bottle for a few years. The “E1k” is supposed to indicate that the vines were all at an altitude of over a thousand feet. I like the name: it seems futuristic and like a secret code all at once.
This “Bordeaux-blend” is cabernet sauvignon with a touch of merlot. The rear label recommends decanting, which we did. It was reddish purple with a faint ring of brown, showing a bit of age. A nose of vanilla and clay with hints of coffee and tobacco complemented the medium body with blueberries and supple tannin. The finish didn’t linger.