I could probably talk about how I decided to ‘dive in the deep end’ and the idea of doing a horizontal, but the fact of the matter is I was making pizza for the Ooni and just grabbed what I thought was a Little Wine from the wine fridge. Like sans-Specsavers you can you see how it could happen if not paying attention - cos Pizza is life right and that hot salami isn’t going to cut itself perfectly is it.… (it is the back label of the HD Syrah…)
yes this one of those internet recipes where you get the whole family, town, food backstory before you get the recipe… anyway the to the wine… but before that… some context, I’m a huge Rhone fan, it has been a gradual progression over the years where I’m finding more enjoyment in Hermitage, Cote Rotie et al. but I am still a huge Rockford, Wendouree and of course Sami Odi fan. (so my comments probably take on even more credence in this light)
The wine had a 3 hour decant and swirls in a 1000mL Erlenmeyer flask.
The 2022 Sami-Odi ‘Hoffmann Dallwitz’ Syrah, according to the liner notes on the website – “our prime cask selection from DW-OLD (planted between 1888-1912), ER-27 (planted 1927) & DW-95VSP (planted 1995). These 24 Burgundian Pièces were gently assembled and bottled amid the spring of 2023 after enduring a 76 week elevage. Bottles were filled without filtration, fining or sparging. 6485 bottles were filled.”
After drinking the HD Syrah over the last 9 odd years. I’d learnt not to touch them for a few years once I’d tried one as a calibration(?) a barrel sample if you will. The first thing that I noticed with this was the super approachable nature of it. Same inky purple, almost iridescent colour on the edges, the same bountiful aromas bursting out of the glass – so I’m thinking here we go, get that fatty Meatlovers pizza on your palate quick smart. I was shocked, the usual almost/bordering but never going over the edge, confected-in-your-face violet, raspberry, bright fruits on the palate were toned down big time, smoothed out and way more integrated together - darker and ‘ready to go’. The flavours are meshed, so now we have this glorious plum, blackberry, and dark fruited wine, a cacophony that all works together with no time required to bring it together. Bordered by dusty tannins and acid attacking all corners of your mouth drawing it out for a 30sec hang time on the palate. After the 3rd mouthful, I just sat back and said ‘wow, and yesssss!!’ this the right in the wheelhouse. What has he done different??
I’m loathe to use the word ‘smooth’ but that is exactly the sensation you get from the wine, it’s not young and pokey with seemingly disparate components needing to come together, he has somehow smoothed out all the edges and points. It is like a Shiraz Cabernet that has had the mix changed to a Cabernet Shiraz, the difference is that stark for me. I’m just a regular punter/wine lover, but he has taken the wine to the next level this year in my humble opinion. He has created a wine that I feel will be drinkable through all the various stages of it’s life, and depending on ‘how you like them’ there is something for everyone no matter where you are on the lifespan curve.
Really impressed and happy with this. I don’t want to go all Dunning-Kruger on Fraser and offer a ‘well done!’ given my place on the ladder in the general scheme of wine things. But stuff it, well done mate this is a bloody good drop. Given it is so young, I am so looking forward to see how it develops.
