I enjoy me some CA syrah…Central Coast RR’s as well as Napa/Sonoma fruit. Kristi sometimes doesn’t like the Central Coast wines as they seem to have an aroma component that she is not fond of. I know it isn’t cork taint, but what could it be that she is so sensitive to? Northern syrahs usually don’t affect her at all.
Hopefully the peanut gallery won’t respond with the standard reductive comments…and you know who you are.
Stems?
I don’t know if that would be a causitive agent on the nose. On the palate, I can get that right away. But if so, why only down south? And one other thing, it really is all or nothing for her…she won’t drink it.
Describe the aroma component.
She’ll have to expound on that as I never get what she is smelling. Basic comment is that the wine is a syrah and it doesn’t smell right to her. Nothing wrong on the palate, but she won’t drink it.
FWIW, we had an Alban Reva two weekends ago that she loved as well as a Pax. It seems really random.
In my opinion.
It could be the ripeness attained in the warmer areas and or the warmer ‘pockets’. Its exactly opposite in Australia, where the southern shiraz are of a more cooler climate and the over-ripemess tends be be throttled down a bit. I tend to feel the same way in what I drink.
Those Washington state wines we discussed at the beginning of the week may be the perfect test for her.
One caveat: What the hell do I know?
Surf wax, brah.
Can you be more specific about where in the Central Coast - this extends from Santa Barbara Co (maybe Ventura Co) in the south through Monterey Co in the north. For instance, you’ll get lots of burnt rubber from hotter areas, weedier/herbaceous notes from other cooler areas, there’s coastal and inland, then there’s soil differences, etc, etc.
Mosty Paso and Santa Barbara.
She LOVED the 2005 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Syrah…but she has a think for bleached and spiked hair.
Okay, work with me here. You got a label name - is it a Central Coast AVA bottling, or particular area?
From Paso Robles, I always get two distinct notes from the syrahs I like best - licorice/anise, and a smoky beef/blood character. Depending on the quality and source, sometimes I get olive. West Paso syrahs tend to be quite peppery, too. But you find blood, pepper and olive in Rhones as well … maybe the licorice?
2003 Bonaccorsi Star Lane…I loved the bottle…right up there with Alban for me. She barely sipped any.
I’ve not had that wine (I prefer the Larner Vnyd bottling), but Star Lane is in a hotter area of SBC (Happy Cyn). Still, there might have been some herbaceous qualities (kind of a tumbleweed thing) to it that she just didn’t like.
As an aside, that vintage was “finished” by other winemakers, due to Michael Bonaccorsi’s sudden death in early '04.
Reduction. Just had to get it out of the way. :twisted:
Interesting she likes the Alban though as those can have some of the craziest aromatics of any Cali Syrah. Tough call though as I find the Syrahs can smell very different all over CC Cali.
That didnt’ take long.
One things for sure…if she likes Alban then she does not have a problem with reductive wines!
2003 Syrah’s from Santa Ynez Valley were definitely different on the nose than say '04 on up. I got some funk on quite a few, but the mouth was fine. Could be just a vintage issue?
Sort your syrahs into 2 bins:
Wines she likes.
Wines she doesn’t like.
When you’re not that thirsty AND want sex, pick from bin #1.
When you want to be by yourself, pick from bin #2.
The LPR wine is and always will be Carlisle.