I was fortunate enough to take place in a comparative tasting of some well known Syrah from across the world for the sake of showing how different this grape can really show depending on climate and wine maker choice. The wines were all served blind with the knowledge that they were Syrah from the main production zones in the world and from a variety of vintages.
2007 Gramercy Cellars Syrah Walla Walla
Shows a dense opaque purple core with an expressive nose of black/blue fruits, olive, savory herbs, pepper and dust. It was just over moderate in body showing moderate alcohol and tannin, but lively acidity. An interesting disconnect between the acid and tannin which seems strangely normal for this area with some soapy qualities too. It has a full entry, but manages to say light and airy on the palate.
2000 Sine Qua Non In Flagrante
Color is ruby now with an intense nose of burnt crayons, rubber, wood, decay with confited black fruits. Full body, with medium tannin and elevated alcohol and acid levels. As overbearing as the nose can come across the wine in the mouth manages to not be heavy. I think this wine has peaked and is on a steady decline at this point.
2007 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard
Deep purple, a moderate nose shows restraint with black plum, saline, mineral, cured meat and pepper. Full body, with noticeably high alcohol the wine has a full entry but comes across as slightly clumsy on the palate (I had also written awkward). It is quite youthful as you would imagine with firm tannin and taut acidity.
1991 Penfolds Grange
Faded ruby color we are from one whiff in a very different place from the previous wines. Vinous and dominated still at this point by American oak, with eucalyptus notes, tobacco, mulberry, pepper and dried herb. Full on the palate with heat poking through, strange high acidity that sits separate from the rest of the wine and only moderate tannins now. The texture though is silky and the wine does leave a long impression.
1999 Torbreck Run Rig
Ruby this leaps at you with roasted/dried black and blue fruits, mint chocolate chip ice cream, high toast French oak and sage. Full bodied, with high alcohol, moderate tannins and moderate plus acid. It leaves a large impression on the palate, there is great concentration here but with out delineation to make it great.
1996 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Ladonne
Garnet colored, this is full of the proverbial meat and pepper, tea leaf with some tart red fruits in the background. It has medium body, alcohol and tannin with fresh acidity. The wines has a nice mineral core on the palate with a grassiness showing up. In a better vintage this wine would have been a better competitor.
2006 Noel Verset Cornas
Ruby color with a nose dominated by stems, pyrazines, and red fruits that almost take on a roasted strawberry character (like Grenache). Medium bodied, alcohol and tannin I expected a lot more from this. I know it is young but this just wasn’t that good, and I like Verset a lot. For an uber traditionalist this seemed almost modern from the standpoint of the fruit concentration.
1988 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
Sadly there was TCA here. The underlying material before it truly blossomed seemed nice but…
1988 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage
Faded ruby and garnet the nose was moderate and elegant. Meat, pepper, stems and olives interplay with mixed red and black fruits. Not full bodied, but full flavor that lasts. Still showing moderate plus tannin but with fresh acidity that keeps it interesting. Supple palate feel, elegant with a long finish.
1999 Michel Ogier Cote-Rotie
Ruby purple with an expressive nose of whole cluster/stems leather black/blue fruits. Fresh and fruity, very lively in the mouth with a great textured mouth feel and fine tannin. Sexy and persistent. This is a baby to be sure but was the star of the show today.