Tag Archives: syrah

Clarendon Hills Astralis 2004

10 Monday Feb 2014

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A huge, monumental, iconic wine that scored massively with the pros and cost me an arm and leg. This weekend marks a huge turn in Moxie’s store and a good reason to celebrate, hence the need to pull out a $300+ bottle of wine from the depths of the cellar. To emphasize- RP 98, WE 98, WS 97, WC 97, AWC 95. Wow….

I have been in Asia for a few days and just returned this morning. Napping the morning away, I was ready for a hearty meal and some good vino. I decided on a Lamb tagine to go with this Aussie Syrah. Yup, Syrah…. They don’t call it a Shiraz, hmmmm.

I opened the bottle at 6:30 and made immediate notes:
The wine is nearly black in the glass and the first whiff was pure alcohol. I let it settle for few minutes and coaxed dark, brooding currants and a touch of the wood in addition to some cherry hints. On the palate I did not catch any of the 14.5% alcohol! Instead I got a complex mixture of black currants, plums, kirsch and oak. The mid palate adds a fine grained tannic streak along with some tobacco and spice nuances. The finish is where the alcohol shows up, unfortunately. The tannins are totally integrated at this point and do not dry out the end game.

It’s now three hours after opening and the wine has not evolved all that much, just softening up a bit on the initial attack. I doubt it will morph much more before I polish it off. The critics reckoned this wine would go until 2030. My impressions are below, and not quite in line.

Firstly, this is not my favorite Syrah nor is it my favorite wine from this producer. I disagree with the high ratings, I don’t think it warrants more than 92 points. For the price, it is a very dear wine and I’m only giving it 2 stars. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good wine- perhaps a great wine according to the pros but for me it’s just average for the price.  I was hoping for more depth, complexity and certainly more flavor.  My quest is to expand my palate and try as many highly rated wines as possible so I will be better able to discern a truly great wine.  This one just wasn’t it, a pity.  Salut….

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Jean Louis Chave Mon Coeur Cotes Du Rhone 2010

14 Saturday Dec 2013

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Having just drunk the more delicate Pinot Noir, this was a smack to the face.  A huge, tannic, rustic wine that was nearly black in the glass.  Full bodied and not afraid to show it, this wine had notes of blackberry, licorice and oak on the nose.  On the palate, very earthy, almost too much even for me.  The garrigue infused funk overpowered the black fruits.  The tannins were great and will hold this wine for at least 5 years but it is drinking great right now.  My personal opinion is 88 points for this wine.  The balance of fruit and secondary flavors weighed the scoring down for me.  For $24 it may be worthy of a try but be prepared for it.  I suggest pairing this Syrah/Grenache blend with a beef stew or lasagna- something hearty.  I’m going with 3 stars for now.  Salut….

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Marrenon Classique Mediterannee 2011

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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In my quest to sample as many wines as possible I will even pay $8 for a co-op made wine served in a plastic cup onboard a United airlines flight. They used to serve a decent NV wine called Fox Grove.
This French version is not quite as decent but was certainly serviceable. I tried to research this one a little more and only came up with the fact that it’s a co-operative wine from the Luberon and Ventoux regions of France (south east from Chateauneuf du-Pape ). I’m guessing a Syrah blend with perhaps some Carignan. A basic wine that offered immediate pleasure without complexity or airs. It does what it’s supposed to do, drink easily and fade away quickly. Mainly blue fruits on the nose and palate, very little tannins but some good acidic juiciness. It’s really hard to pick out nuances in a plastic cup in a pressurized airplane, so I will leave at that. This is perhaps an $8 bottle that won’t embarrass you at a party. 84 points and 3 stars. Salut….

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Chilcas Syrah 2011

27 Tuesday Aug 2013

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Back on track with the Chilcas family!  I just wrote about the Carmenere disappointment and am happy to say that the Syrah bottling is right up my alley.

There are two ways to spell this varietal, Shiraz- which I find to be a much bolder expression of the fruit, and Syrah- a more refined offering and usually Old World in heritage.  This bottling is old school through and through.  Very soft in the mouth, with gentle tannins and balanced acidity.  Reserved, it shows its red berry and chocolate flavors very smoothly.  This wine, while not complex, does show off its origin and terroir very nicely (not that I’m an expert).  Did I mention the price?  A veritable steal and worthy of 5 stars and perhaps 87 points.  I think I’m on to something here, stay away from the funky Carmenere, stock up on this and the Cabernet and you can defend against any size party that pops up!  Salut….

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Trivento Amado Sur 2011

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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Mostly Malbec with a dose of Bonarda and Syrah, this little gem fits between the Malbec Reserve and Golden Reserve of which I am very fond of.  Deftly made with subtle oak, there is a serious tannic compound to this wine which will hold it together in the cellar for years to come.  Dark purple in the glass with very interesting blueberry notes and some mintiness on the nose.  On the palate is where the blueberry driven Malbec mixes it up with the red fruits of the Bonarda and Syrah.  I’m not sure where the tannins are derived from, but they just wont quit.  I was licking my lips forever after each sip, the mouth puckering was amazing, in a good way.  The acidity was bright and balanced in this wine.  It finished with a plumminess that was somewhat jamlike, which I enjoyed.  89 points in my book and a 5 star wine for the price.  This winery keeps on delivering the goods, a must have for the cellar to be enjoyed for the next 7 years.  Salut!

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Clarendon Hills Syrah Piggott Range Vineyard 2006

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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An iconic name from Australia that crafts some monumental wines.  Normally this varietal is called Shiraz downunder, yet Clarendon makes it in an Old World style and reverted to the Syrah moniker.  Unlike typical Aussie Shiraz, this offering is refined, understated and showing great class.  Plum compote, chocolate and some earth transcend from the nose to the palate.  Layers of fruit emerge in this complex wine and the tannins are ever so subtle, yet omni-present.  Extremely balanced and smooth, this is finesse at its finest.  Pricey at about $100, this is no Thursday night pop-n-pour.  I served it up on a Sunday evening with London Broil and roasted potatoes.  It would pair well with Lamb chops as well as by itself.  I believe that the pro’s ranged from 92-98.  I would give it 93 personally and 4 stars (Price taken into account).  I have three more in the cellar and will watch for further development, anticipating a drinking window from now until 2020 at the least.

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Allain Graillot Crozes Hermitage 2005

05 Sunday May 2013

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Syrah is synonymous with Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage.  This is  land where the French have perfected fine Syrah for hundreds of years.  Made in a traditional style, respecting the grape, the soil and the palate.  These wines are about complexity and balance, leaving the extraction and over-the-topness to New World producers who refer to it as Shiraz.  This wine has started to evolve and is now taking on what I yearn for in aged wines- funk.

Purple in color, the nose had a definite pepper note mixed with some blue fruit and dirt.  Sounds funny, I know, but when a wine matures and picks up barnyard, earth or other non-fruity attributes, it excites me.  This wine came through with earth meets blackberry on the palate.  Very smooth tannins are almost imperceptable and the acidity was in check.  For an 8 year old wine, it has certainly evolved, yet I fear it will only last a few more years.  It is at peak right now and would accompany a Filet perfectly.  A gift from a friend that in my opinion should be a 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars.  I decanted the bottle and let it open for about an hour as it had some sediment and I figured it would benefit from ‘opening up’.

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Scheid ‘Odd Lot Red’ 2010

28 Sunday Apr 2013

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A bottle that was brought by a friend and served with some steak and chicken.  It took no time to sniff out the two basic ingredients here, Syrah and Merlot.  Without trying to be rude, my host asked what I thought of this wine…..  “Make-up”.  I can’t describe it any better, there was a certain fakeness to this wine that really did not agree with me.  On the other hand, it is an easy drinker that is a sure crowd-pleaser for what it is.  However, at $20 plus per bottle, a major pass in my books.  I really did not care for the almost candy-like flavor of the cherry and strawberry fruit.  The tannins were very slight, but the wine was indeed balanced.  I hate being a wine downer, but this one was just not for me.  Technically speaking, I would imagine it is an 86 point wine, but for the price- 2 stars.

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Marennon Classique 2011

11 Monday Mar 2013

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From the inflight cellars of United Airlines comes this Mediteranee blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. It seems to be taking over from the Fox Grove I wrote about recently. I like this wine. It is simple, straightforward, easy-to-drink and surely to be a crowd pleaser. Keeping in kind it’s pedigree, it offers very primal red fruits on the nose and palate. Very smooth with no complexity or tannic roughness, this wine will be an easy party wine for the next 2 years. I can’t say much more because that’s all folks. It really is just a tasty basic wine. 3 points for its price to delicious factor but a solid 85 points technically speaking.

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Domaine Fond Croze Cuvée Confidence 2009

28 Thursday Feb 2013

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From the initial sniff I knew I was going to love this wine. Primal red fruit and a floral component teased my senses. On the first sip, red berries and some blackberry hints mixed it up nicely with some pretty decent tannins. Very puckering, this wine begs to be drunk. Good balance, just a bit basic in complexity. I had a glance at the back label and noticed that this wine is predominantly Grenache (love it), hence the florality and smoothness. The Syrah is giving it some edge. I like this wine, especially for its price. 4 stars, and I reckon 89 points.

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