We knew the theme, “Syrah” but that was it. Served blind in flights of 2.
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2001 Novy Syrah SLH
nose: black fruits, light smoke, light earth, fresh blackberries
mouth: full body, blackberries, brambly, light smoke
score: A- -
2000 Araujo Syrah Eisele
nose: red, black and blue fruits, vanilla, light earth, light eucalyptus
mouth: full body, red fruits, light earth
Score: A -
2000 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mt Vedeer
nose: green pepper, woody stems
mouth: medium body, green pepper, dried leaves, lean finish, dried leaves
score: C- -
2000 Ojai 50/50 Syrah (Bien Nacido/Roll Ranch)
nose: smoke, earth, black fruits
mouth: full body, smoke, earth, light acid, medium and dry tannins on finish
score: B -
2001 IO (Byron) Upper Bench Santa Maria Valley Syrah
nose: barnyard, black fruits
mouth: medium body, eucalyptus, black fruits, balanced, light barnyard
score: A -
2002 Jaffurs Melville Syrah
nose: earth
mouth: medium body, blueberries, red raspberries
score: A- -
2005 DuMol RRV Syrah
nose: blueberry, white pepper
mouth: full body, blueberries, white papper
Score: A -
2005 Tyrus Del Rio Rogue Valley Syrah
nose: odd, leaves, subtle and faint
mouth: full body, sour milk, light earth, minerals. Great mouth, odd nose
Score: B+ -
2000 ArrowWood Saralee’s RRV Syrah
nose: smoke, green stems
mouth: medium body, smoke, green stems
Score: C -
2002 Red Car Sugardaddy Syrah
nose: iodine, light stem
mouth: medium body, iodine, big tannins, cherry cough syrup
score: C -
2002 Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Syrah
nose: blueberries, briars
mouth: full body, blueberries, very very light asparagus??, vanilla, light wood, light tannins
Score: B+ -
1998 Chapoutier la Sizeranne
nose: barnyard, smoke, char, dry leaves, white pepper
mouth: medium full body, leaves
Score: B+
Commentary:
It is well known that I love Syrah so I was excited about this tasting. This blind tasting also helped solidify that my palate isn’t changing much in the Syrah world. I still, for some reason, don’t connect with Lagier Meredith. Wonderful people, but their wines just don’t please my palate.
Ojai and Jaffurs fell about where I would expect. I tend to like Ojai with more bottle age so expect to see that score rise. I also think they need more decant time. Zero for this tasting.
The Sugardaddy was a huge disappointment. One great bottle on release, and now very very disappointing. I have some in my cellar, so will open one soon to see if it shows the same, and if so decant and give it a few hours to see what happens. Stay tuned there.
This is the first Novy I’ve liked, but must admit I’ve had less than a dozen since they started. Not sure it will improve with bottle age, but a nice drink now.
I’m not sure what to make of the La Sizeranne. It certainly didn’t help being at the end of the tasting, and paired with a big Aussie. But at only 10 years of age I can give it time. I’ve never been a huge Chapoutier fan, but a friend of mine loves La Sizeranne, so I get to taste this bottling now and again. Give me Chave or most other N. Rhone producers before Chapoutier. It has a good score because it is made well and will be enjoyed by fans of Chapoutier, but it doesn’t rock my world. To each their own.
And of course I should note that any greenness/stemminess is, for me, a huge detractor and my scores will reflect this. If you aren’t as sensitive or enjoy those characteristics, you will like those wines more than me.