Tag Archives: syrah

Chariot Wines Gypsy Red 2019, California

22 Monday Aug 2022

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Nearly opaque, this deep ruby colored wine has a tinge of blue coloring on the edges.  The nose has aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, red licorice candy and ripe raspberry.  A touch of oak is also present.  The palate is dry with medium tannins and medium acidity.  There is a sourness to the palate but I get red fruit, red licorice and charcoal.  The body is medium and the finish is short.  The tannins linger mind you and there is some juiciness on the back end that I am enjoying.  It’s a Trader Joes special that runs $6.  Great for a party, this 85 pointer will not break the bank and can be served with burgers, dogs or even pizza.  3 stars from me for this blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to drink by 2024.   Salut….

Stefano di Blasi Syrah Nero d’Avola 2020, IGT Sicilia, Italy

05 Friday Aug 2022

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Medium ruby colored in the glass- this blend of Syrah and Nero D’Avola has aromas of plum, licorice, game, violets, blackberry leaf, some licorice and a caramel/burnt sugar note.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and silky smooth, medium level tannins that melt away gracefully.  Medium bodied, this wine has nice flavors of plum, florals, blackberry and a touch of licorice alongside that caramel note.  The finish is mid length and I get a charred wood note with more anise.  The tannins make a comeback to remind me that they are still grippy.  A nice bottle that ran me $11!  I would drink this with stews, leaner cuts of meat and pasta for sure over the short term- till 2026.  I give it 89 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Petite Chapelle – La Maison Bleue 2019, Rhone, France

17 Sunday Jul 2022

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Closing out the 28th virtual tasting session was this stunning Syrah from the Northern Rhone.  Opaque- deep purple in color it revealed a rich nose of game, licorice, iodine, anise, blood/iron, boysenberry, very dark fruit compote with a medicinal note as well as an image of really black blackberries.  The palate was smooth.  Dry with low acidity and fine-grained medium (+) tannins that led to  flavors of meat, cinnamon, caramel, blackberry coulis, iodine, charred oak and iron.  This full bodied wine finished with a medium length burst of delicious, complex flavors.  It tied at 19 points on our scale as my WOTN and garners 94 points.  For $60 this stunner is a 5 star treat wine to be drunk till 2039.  I would pair it with grilled Hangar steak slathered in a Roquefort sauce.  Salut….

Domaine Durieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reserve Lucile Avril 2016, Rhone, France

17 Sunday Jul 2022

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I love a CDP, as does our virtual tasting group but this one was not a crowd pleaser.  Medium ruby colored it had pronounced aromas of game (road kill), tomato, sawdust, violets, herbs de Provence and baked/stewed blueberry.  The palate was dry with well integrated medium (+) tannins, low acidity and a medium body.  Flavors of game, stewed blueberry, charcoal, smoke, and a waxy component were noted.  The finish was decently long for this 91 point wine.  I scored it 15 points on our grading scale and for $50 it only gets 3 stars from me.  The pro’s went as high as 96 points for this old vine Grenache blended with Syrah and Mourvedre.  I would drink this angular wine with stews or perhaps a venison roast.  Cellar wise- it should go till 2030.  Salut…..

M. Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Belleruche 2019, Rhone, France

10 Sunday Jul 2022

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Deep purple- gamy on the nose with licorice, garigue, raspberry and black fruit.  Charred wood notes and stewed blackberry finish it off.  On the palate this Grenache/Syrah blend is dry with somewhat coarse tannins, medium (-) acidity and a medium body.  I get definitive game and earthy notes with dark red fruit and oak influence from the charred wood.  Licorice is quite present.  The tannins smooth out towards the back end where the finish is medium in length and includes a Lapsang Souchong tea component.  A very serviceable wine that gets 88 points from me to drink till 2026.  At $13 it’s a relative bargain that gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Clarendon Hills Moritz Syrah 2011, McLaren Vale, Australia

06 Monday Jun 2022

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Deep hues of ruby along with a hint of age- a garnet edge.  The nose has lovely, pronounced aromas of black plum, blackcurrant, licorice, vanilla, blackberry jam, cedar and spice box.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and well-melded tannins that are grippy yet unobtrusive.  The rich, ripe black fruit flavors dominate but I get some charred oak, black tea, licorice and spices in this full bodied beaut.  It flows seamlessly to a somewhat tart and slightly tannic finish that lasts a good 20 seconds.  I really like this winery, they produce enjoyable wines that age well.  This one will keep going until 2030 at the earliest and pair well with grilled meats, rich stews and wild game.  93 points from me for this $40 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Domaine de Saint Gens Gigondas Cuvee de l’Ancien Oratoire 2017, Rhone, France

28 Saturday May 2022

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A blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah, this Rhone wine has a medium ruby color in the glass.  The nose has a perfume meets rich plums and blackberry.  I am desperate to find the garigue and game these two varietals are known for but they elude me for oak influence of vanilla and coffee along with some green leaf hints.  The palate is interesting- dry and a touch tart with medium (+) tannins and medium to full body.  I get a definitive charred wood note along with the black fruit, vanilla, coffee and tomato leaf. There might be a touch of licorice in there to boot.  The wine gets pretty grippy on the back end as it flexes its muscles on the medium length finish.  I like it but feel it could use some cellaring.  It’s a bit one dimensional right now and the tannins need to mellow out a bit.  It got big scores from the pros but in my book this $30 bottle is a 91 pointer that gets 4 stars.  Drink from 2024-2030.  Salut….

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012, Rhone, France

20 Wednesday Apr 2022

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It’s my birthday so this treat got pulled to go along with char-grilled New York Strip steaks.  At 10 years of age it is still deep ruby colored with no signs of bricking.  The nose is intense with gorgeous aromas of ripe raspberry, red licorice, violets, red plums, vanilla, garigue, coffee and black cherry- it is amazingly complex and the smells are making my mouth water.  The palate is dry, slightly tannic and delicious.  Super smooth and full bodied, this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah presents a mouthful of flavors and great structure from the medium firm tannins that are integrating nicely along with medium (+) acidity.  The finish is quite long and tends toward red and sour cherry with raspberry supporting.  The tannins are fine grained on the back end and caress my gums ever so.  A beautiful wine that is in youth right now and will drink well till 2030 at the least.  94 points for this silky smooth $100 offering makes it a 5 star wine to be opened at special occasions.  Salut….

Chateau Juvenal Ventoux ‘La Terre du Petit Homme’ 2016, Rhone, France

03 Sunday Apr 2022

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From the Southern Rhone comes this blend of Grenache 50%, Syrah 40% and Mourvedre 10%.  It will hopefully go well with my braised Lamb shanks.  The wine is medium ruby in color with quite a full-on nose of red raspberry, baking spice, pepper, blueberry compote, game, oak-derived vanilla and blackberry- quite an array of complexity from the three varietals.  The palate is dry with dusty tannins, medium to full body and high alcohol (15.5% ABV).  Red and black fruit interlaced with spice, pepper and oak make for a yummy flavor profile that is quite earthy, gamy and austere.  The tannins are nicely integrated yet still showing plenty of grip, especially on the back end but balanced with medium acidity.  The finish is medium in length with the astringency lasting a lot longer.  I like this rustic wine- 91 points worth and for $25 it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2028 with hearty stews, braises or a hunk of meat on the grill.  Salut….

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2018, France

23 Wednesday Mar 2022

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I was at a wine class last night and this GSM blend was one of the wines we tasted.  Having recently tried the 2016 vintage I wanted to re-visit this as a follow on.  It is deep ruby, bordering on purple.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black raspberry, black plum, blackberry, mint? and white pepper.  The palate of this dry wine has medium tannins, medium (-) acidity, medium body, medium (+) intensity flavors of the black fruit already mentioned and a cassis-like sweetness on the mid palate.  There is very little oak influence that I can sense.  The finish is mid length and grippy.  I like this very serviceable wine that runs $15 and gets 91 points from me.  I would drink this with strip steak till 2026.  5 stars.  Salut….