Classic blackberry with violets on the nose and largely resolved tannins. Not hot from alcohol but the acid adjustment detracted on the nose for the first hour in the decanter which eventually evolved into a smooth and long finish with full body that was not over the top. Good complexity and it kept revealing more nuances with extended airing. A very enjoyable bottle and a steal for $8.99. I wish I had bought more.
I ended up popping an '04 Arcadian Homage a Max and throwing a 2-bone ~5 pound standing rib roast on the BGE for dinner tonight with the in-laws. We whipped up some instant polenta with lots of parm and a simple green salad with pink lady apples, chevre-blue cheese and an apple cider vinaigrette. The food worked perfectly with the wine (which was decanted for about 4 hours before drinking), with the smokey prime rib working nicely against the softening tannins and ripe fruit from the vintage. The palate still feels precise and shows a nice minerally spine and just a hint of menthol. Really classy and a great accompaniment to the dinner.
nice one Randy; I really like that wine.
I’ve been a little under the weather and off the juice but will find a Syrah for tonight. We’re hosting a tasting in our sunroom tomorrow so I’ll ask people to bring Syrah.
'10 carlisle papa’s block. quick decant. guess what? it’s young. very dark and brooding with cool fruits on the nose and the palate. wife thinks it’s a bit off, but i disagree. just painfully young right now, and will check out the rest of the bottle later today. i was looking for an older 1 but i guess i’ve drank them all
2008 Mackey Vineyards Syrah, Walla Walla Valley (13.9%, 100% Syrah) — Opened this during a Chris Isaak concert last night. Gotta love dinner theater. Loved this wine. Restrained fruit with a bit of spice, some wet rocks, and a nice finish that showed a lot of acidity. I only have one more bottle and now I wish I had more.
I will channel my inner TomHill and add a few extra notes on this one.
The Mackey Vineyards are in the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley in The Rocks area. Their winemaker is Billo Navarene of Rasa fame. And this was their first vintage so I’ll be able to say I have been following them from the very beginning.
2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Old Lakeville Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/7/2013)
Pop-n-pour to an dark purple/black core turning ruby at the rim. Nose of blackberries, blueberries, eucalyptus, violets, and tar. Vigorous swirling really releases the fruit. It’s slightly more savory on the palate, with a wave of blackberries and blueberries giving way to olives and smoky cured meats. Long lingering finish. Nice Petaluma Gap Syrah, approachable but still showing lots of youthful exuberance.
2002 Dehlinger Syrah Estate Bottled- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/7/2013)
Color is a youthful deep, dark garnet. Still young and fresh, but does seem to have entered the early phase of its drinking window (which I would expect to last another decade, at very least). Deep blackberry/pomegranate fruit, strong acidity and excellent overall balance. It’s definitely a California Syrah, but in all the good ways, without being overripe, over-oaked, overly sweet or syrupy. Very nice bottle. (91 pts.)
2009 Cristom Syrah Estate- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (12/7/2013)
Drank with rosemary-garlic grilled Heritage Farms pork chops, gnocchi with Cremini mushrooms, a lovely salad topped with 7 Dec-picked green beans from the garden.
I post the foods because the freshly ground pepper in the wine played really well with the garlic and the green herbal quality was great with the rosemary. There is a nicely retained dark red fruit component and a little menthol. The wine is not very complex, but certainly “correct.” I don’t get any heat despite the 14.5 ABV. All in all I would say that this is a fun drink once per year.
2004 Copain Cailloux & Coccinelle
This one was quite a disappointment… I have had many Copain Syrahs, but this one was a bit off. Nose & taste a bit muted… hints of dark olives & soy on the nose… fruit almost completely gone, tannins have disappeared, very slight flavors of blackberry. No finish to speak of. This wine, or at least this bottle, was just a very uninspiring, uniteresting example of Syrah.
Robert, I’ll probably open something French this week as I seem to open a French syrah most every week.
But this weekend it’s Novy.
2010 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (12/7/2013)
My bottle seems a bit different than Frank’s below. Nose is pretty mute, although I do get a bit of grapefruit and smoke.
The palate is great, though. Medium intensity, dark fruit, some smoke.
No evident heat, moderate tannins and just enough acidity to keep it interesting.
Definitely a California take on syrah, but a delicious one. Enjoyable as a wine to think about or just a wine to drink.
Thank you Larry for starting this thread. Tonight’s wine is 2010 Lillian Syrah. Blackberry and coffee notes extending through the 30+ second finish on the first sip and extending as it opens up. Supple and not overstated with ample acidity for food pairing. Thank you Maggie Harrison for making this wine.
Speaking of Pobega’ng
2011 Copain “Les Voisins” Syrah
Out of the chute this wine is pretty primary dark blue fruit, very juicy and a touch sweet. Enjoyed. Large pour while watching a movie last night and will revisit it tonight after it has had some time to unwind.
Here is my contribution, and if there is time in the week before we switch themes again, I can get to one more. Had both of these over dinner at Playground last night, with the Holdredge really coming out on top. And thanks for the thread, Mr P. The story of Malala being shot, I remember that news so to be able to open these bottles and enjoy them last night with company, the warmth of that experience and meal, the food, it’s a counter to everything that was wrong in that event.
2005 Holdredge Syrah Lovers Lane Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/8/2013)
Me love this wine, Mr John Holdredge. We served this with dinner and the wine needed some time to air, as it didn’t see a decant or slow ox. So with that time, this bottle really blossomed into something terrific. Listed alc was 14.3%, didn’t notice any intrusion of it. What’s here instead is a wine of beautiful balance, with some red fruit but really mainly blue, lots of blueberry that drank really pure. The added bonus was a loamy note that came into the finish of the last glass. Seems like the wine is in a sweet spot and with the balance, even 9 vintages removed now, just drinking great. Terrific.
2007 Roar Syrah Garys’ Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (12/7/2013)
My last of 4 bottles that I bought in 2009, and have not drank one since 2011. So, sentimental memory here with a winery that helped me cut my path early on into CA syrah. I still have on 2008 Rosella’s left, and suspect that wine will be better for my palate these days, given the vintage. As to this 2007, I opened it about an hour ago. Dark, but not opaque. Purple dried flower, what I sometimes call potpourri in my syrah notes, as well as a hint of smoke and pepper, but these are minor aromatic players. The fruit here carries with it what I would expect from Garys’, showing a peppered jerky, with a mix of red and black fruit that has some sweet edges to it, medium plus weight. Finishes with licorice, sweet leather, tar with a syrah funk note and some acid to freshen all the parts. Alcohol? Listd at 15.4% and while this initially did not show, with a few hours of air, the heat does come out, mainly in the aromatic and also consumption. Drink window? With a little air, ths sofetened fine, and so I think the wine is ready to go.
Frank, I had the '07 Lovers Lane on T’Giving and really enjoyed it. Sad that john gave up making Syrah.
2007 Holdredge Syrah Lovers Lane Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (11/29/2013)
Open 8 hrs. Dark ruby, slightly cloudy. Big aromatics of blueberry, violet, black olive, forest floor, a hint of green bell pepper and oak. Medium texture, ripe, peppery, blueberry, tar, oak, juicy, tangy, layered, firm tannins. Showing really well though it has the structure to improve for another 4-5 years. Nice effort.
Finally a Frenchie (and this note is only the result of the generosity of a charity pledge by Larry P):
2011 Domaine Faury St. Joseph - Very floral on the nose with some herb scents like thyme and lavender and dill. Fairly direct on the palate but deliciously so - very easy to drink with lots of acidity and some really nice liveliness in the mouth. Some nice cherries and minerals and meatiness present a very enjoyable flavor profile. Excellent lively, vibrant wine full of flavor without any unnecessary weight.
2011 Halcon Vineyards Syrah Alturas- USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (12/8/2013)
Dark, though not completely opaque, garnet, I get some light crushed berries and a hint of garrigue on the nose; very nice, intense, almost cool flavors of dark boysenberry/pomegranate, fine tannins, a little burst of sweetness that is subsumed by the mouthwatering acidity that drives through the finish. Everything Syrah should be, drinking nicely now, and should develop for many years. (92 pts.)
2005 Lillian Winery Syrah- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (12/7/2013)
Day 1 - pop and pour – still very primary, with little development at this point. dark fruits, chocolate, and meat. consistent with prior notes. long finish.
Day 2 - left uncorked for 24 hours with about half the bottle left. As always, this showed even better on day 2. more spice and floral notes than yesterday. still surprisingly youthful. (94 pts.)
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