Summer Syrah Sipping Suggestions

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I love syrah. As such, whenever I get a lineup of syrah to taste, my excitement level ramps up. The grape is criminally underappreciated here in the United States, perhaps as a result of [yellow tail] being foisted on naive palates. That under-appreciation helps to keep prices down (for the most part) on domestic syrah, which pleases me to no end. Considering how overpriced cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir are, finding refuge in syrah's intoxicating mix of ripe black fruit, dried herb, heady spices, and smooth tannin brings many a wine geek moments of sheer joy. There was even an "Occupy Syrah" day last year, which I wrote about while tasting some delicious wines.

Here then are some domestic syrahs I was sent to sample. All are from California, and all were tasted blind first, then unmasked and re-tasted over the course of another day.

2009 Mandolin Syrah Central Coast: Aromas of wood, burnt match, ripe cherries, plums, and a sensation of alcoholic heat. As in the previous bottle of this I tried, I suspect there's a sulfides issue present. On the palate this syrah is somewhat thin and astringent, with none of the ripe, deep fruit character that I would expect. Rather, there's a simplistic red fruit that evaporates quickly. The acidity is nice but the overall impression I get is that of a hollow shell, or put more bluntly, a cheap wine. Disappointing, because the Central Coast of California can produce amazing syrah. 14.6% abv. $11 srp.

2008 Elizabeth Spencer Syrah "Special Cuvee" Sonoma Coast: A complex nose of fresh black fruit, molasses, baking spices, dried herbs, and wood are unfortunately held back by a subtle alcoholic burn. Still, I'd be lying if I denied that this syrah smells incredibly good. On the palate it's rich and mouth-coating, revealing flavors of blackberry, peppercorn, tar, and mocha. Chewy tannin give a wonderful structure to balance out the ripeness. The whole packages is closed out with an impressively long finish of herbs and dusty soil notes. I must say though, that I don't believe for one minute that this is truly 14.9% alcohol, I'd bet it's closer to 16.0%. $35 srp.

2006 James David Cellars Syrah Central Coast: Pours a very dark garnet, almost purple, in the glass. Aromas of Almond Joy candy, pencil lead, blackberry preserve, and fresh cut lumber. Definitely oaky, and there may be a an ethyl acetate issue forming due to the nail-polish remover burn. The palate is thin and drying, without much character other than alcoholic burn and grainy wood. With a listed alcohol of 15.7%, I suspect that could be a lot higher. I did notice the tannin, and if this wine had any lush, clean fruit flavors to show, that tannic structure would do a beautiful job creating balance. $N/A.

2005 James David Cellars Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino: Pouring a much "redder" ruby into my glass, my first impressions of the bouquet were of garrigue and cherry preserves. There's a pleasant earthiness along with some nice mocha notes and a dollop of wood. There's some alcoholic heat too, but it isn't distracting. This style, for my palate, is what I love about California syrah. Balanced fruit, earth, and oak elements all play nicely together. There's some firm tannin at play, acting to nudge each element back into balance as they struggle to break out of the tannic pen. Red cherry and raspberry, herbs, and a dusty minerality compose a syrah I'd love to pair with a steak, or ribs. This 2006 is wearing its age with grace and class, as well as looking to improve with a few more years in bottle. 15.5% abv. $N/A.


Maybe the title of this post should be "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly". On the one hand, the Mandolin was disappointing to me, again, despite it's generally good reviews from Steve Heimoff and Bev-X. I could chalk it up to bottle variation though, especially at such a low price point. The 2006 James David was way too big and alcoholic for me, but if you're into lush, rich syrah you will love this one. On the other hand, the 2005 James David Eaglepoint Ranch was delicious despite the high-ish alcohol, as was the Elizabeth Spencer.

Any of these wines would pair beautifully with grilled meat, pizza, lamb, lasagna, or on their own. Despite being a full-bodied wine, syrah is versatile, and each of these wines does showcase a certain stylistic take on the grape. As we move closer to summer, I hope to offer more syrah reviews so please don't hesitate to recommend examples to me!

These wines were media samples from their respective producers.

Beau Carufel

Blind Tasting Oregon Pinot Noir, Round Two

After the last post on a blind tasting of Oregon pinot noir I did garnered some attention, I am writing up another blind tasting I did recently. Our friends Lars and Dave hosted Becky, Kim, and me at their beautiful house for a blind tasting of six pinot noirs, five from Oregon plus a ringer bottle I brought. More on that ringer bottle later...

The theme again was Oregon Pinot Noir, but the vintages and regions were up to us. As it happened, every pinot noir was from the Willamette Valley and the vintage spread was 2004-2010. Next time I am going to try to bring an older bottle and see if anyone mistakes it for a Burgundy.

I've been pretty down on 2009 Oregon pinot noir because most examples I've tasted were too ripe, flabby, and high in alcohol for my tastes. 2008 offers better age-ability and the 2007's are drinking fantastically well despite the many critics who gave the vintage a poor score. As an aside, I feel that the issue with the 2007 vintage illustrates another flaw in our continued reliance on supposedly "expert" wine critics who make proclamations which then have a very real impact on the sales of those wines.

Critic-bashing aside, I've been also very keen on 2010 pinot noir, because I love the acidity and more delicate fruit flavors compared to 2009. In the interests of integrity, I did try my best to throw my preconceived notions out the window for this blind tasting. It helped that the wines were in brown paper bags.

Below are the tasting notes for each wine, in order of tasting. I'll include my rankings, subjective as they might be, at the bottom of this post. The notes below are mostly unedited too, in the hopes that you'll see my thought processes as I tasted each wine.

1. 2010 A.F. Nichols Lillie's Vineyard Dundee Hills:
N: Aromas of grape stem, red cherry, and hints of herb and cola. Might be a touch of VA on the nose too, almost medicinal in nature. Smells young, this might be a 2010 or lighter-style 2009.
P: Light but with great acid, more of the grape stem quality. Red cherries and soil come through, very clean tasting. Good finish, a little bit sudden though. Lots of potential, could be great in a few years.

2. 2004 Left Coast Cellars Suzanne's Estate Reserve Willamette Valley:
N: VA? (ed: volatile acidity) Caramel..oak..darker fruit like wild strawberry mixed with black cherry. Some green stemmy qualities too. Could be a 2008, maybe older though? 2004/5?
P: Dried cherry, stemmy notes. Good acidity, really zings. Hints of rhubarb, minerality, and cola. A bit astringent on the finish, also somewhat evaporative. If this is young, it's got potential...if not, drink now..

3. 2009 Antica Terra Willamette Valley:
N: Earth and red fruit, smells young! Vibrant acidity but also some noticeable oak. Baking spices, something like damp forest floor too. Intriguing!
P: Ripe, rich style. 2009? Raspberry and strawberry fruits give it good acidity but it's just a bit too fleshy for my taste. Oak notes come through, not as strongly as on the nose. Easy drinking, good wine.

4. 2008 Vista Hills Tusculum Estate Dundee Hills:
N: Smells bad, like a skunk. Also some meaty, minty aromas. The skunky smell is distracting for me. Puzzling. Has some boozy thing too, an alcoholic burn in my nostrils.
P: Puzzling, there's a nice Oregon funk note, but also something almost Brettanomyces-like. Dark fruit and bramble on the finish. Tastes better than it smells but it's kind of rough going.

5. 2009 Lenne Yamhill-Carlton District:
N: Cherry/Strawberry candy, cherry pie, grape stems. Baking spices and lots of wood! Wowie.
P: Very ripe mouthfeel, interesting acidity, seems to weave in and out of the palate. Cola, cedar, and a peppery finish. Not that bad but it's not that good either. Most interesting aspect is the acidity and it's effect on the palate.

6. 2008 Elizabeth Spencer Special Cuvee Sonoma Coast:
N: Cherry preserves, a touch of alcoholic heat, but a lightness too. Ripe red fruits dominate but behind that is a spicy component which was immensely pleasing.
P: Light red fruits, it's muted compared to the aromas. Lower acid levels than the other wines, it is probably the California wine. Clean, easy drinking, touches of oak around the periphery.

Thanks for making it all the way down here! Here's my list, in order of preference. I've linked to cellartracker.com too so that you can get an idea of what the greater wine drinking community thinks too.

1. 2010 A.F. Nichols
2. 2009 Antica Terra
3. 2004 Left Coast Cellars
4. 2009 Lenne
5. 2008 Vista Hills
6. 2008 Elizabeth Spencer

In terms of rating, I held the Elizabeth Spencer out because it wouldn't be fair, but if I had to rate it, the third spot would be appropriate. Out of all the wines, the Antica Terra surprised me, and while I feel it is overpriced, the quality is undeniable. I'd never had Lenne or Vista Hills wines before, but know them by reputation, and I've heard good things about both producers. Stylistically, they're not what I look for in an Oregon pinot noir and I still struggle to figure out what that skunky smell was in the Vista Hills.

Blind tasting is a great way to find out where your bias lies, as long as you make the effort to toss out preconceived notions. While we don't blind-drink our wines, for educational purposes, blind tasting is perhaps the best way to get acclimated with a region new to you, or even to stay sharp on a region you're familiar with. In addition to all of that, blind tasting with your friends is a blast, as you all finish your own observations, the guessing game becomes a really fun activity. What blind tastings have you done recently?

Beau Carufel

2007 Elizabeth Spencer "The Guardian" Cabernet Sauvignon. A Stunner.

I've struggled with what words use for this blog post for about two weeks now. Conveying the impact of a sublime wine experience is difficult, something only the best wine scribes can effectively accomplish. Luckily we live in an age where such scribes are out there on the internet and in print, thus easy to find and read. If you're at this blog I fear you've mis-navigated. Before you leave however, read on to find out about the best red wine I have tasted so far this year.

Although it's not the best way to start the a new pargraph, I admit I'm left at a loss for the appropriate words to convey how much the 2007 Elizabeth Spencer cabernet impressed me, satisfied me, and touched the happy place deep within each wine geek's soul. It's not often I can freely write about how amazing a wine is, there are constraints to most of the blog posts I write, be they self-imposed or comprised of externalities.

In June I was happily tweeting on a glorious day. Bacchus was smiling, Becky was visiting, and I believe there was delicious wine or some great craft beer open and being enjoyed. Out of the blue, a winery I'd been following tweeted at me that I was their Follower of the Month or some such thing. At first, being the jaded, skeptical, even cynical (no, not really) blogger that I am, the word "scam" popped into my head. I even sent a Twitter DM asking if they were for real. Lucky for me, they weren't kidding.

Elizabeth Spencer Wines, based in Rutherford in Napa Valley. I had heard the name talked about by some wine-collecting friends but never tasted their wines before. A producer of some very good repute, by all accounts. The winery makes a lot of different wines, all in small lots. Cabernet sauvignon and franc, syrah, pinot noir, merlot, grenache, petite sirah, chardonnay, chenin and sauvignon blancs, and a rose of pinot. For a smaller winery, this is one of the most impressive lineups I have ever seen.

Allison at the winery was kind enough to send down my prize, a bottle of their 2007 E x S "The Guardian" cabernet sauvignon. She very smartly packed it in a two bottle shipper and enclosed an ice pack. Little touches like that let me know a winery has smart and caring people working there.

As you can see from the bottle shot, there's also that neat little bit about ten barrels being made. Or, a few hundred cases total production for this cabernet. My intent was to stick the bottle in my cellar and forget about it for a few years, but alas that wasn't to be. I was sent samples of some other very exclusive wines including the 2009 Seghesio Costiera pinot noir, and decided to open them at one big tasting with some wine-loving friends from work. This would give them a chance to taste true upper-tier wines, examples they might not otherwise get to taste.

Before those wine-loving friends of mine arrived though, I felt the weight of responsibility upon my shoulders to ensure that each of the four wines was in fact ready for my friends to taste and enjoy. Therefore I pre-tasted all of them and took notes. While one was cooked in transit and will be written up after I get another sample bottle, the remaining three were out of this world. The Seghesio has already been written up, the Hedges Red Mountain will be up soon too.

2007 is considered a great vintage in Napa Valley by the critics, from Wine Spectator to Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast. The growing season was superb, a small crop and ideal ripening conditions led to a huge collection of wonderful wines. The 2007 E x S "The Guardian" is no exception.

Pouring a deep, dense garnet, almost no light shines through this cabernet sauvignon. Despite (or in spite of) the nearly four years of bottle age, all the signs point to a still-young wine. The color is marvelous, hinting at what might be something truly delicious waiting to be experienced.

After a few whiffs my notes consisted of: "Dark chocolate ran full speed into a wall of old leather sitting in a vat of plummy reduction sauce! I love the cassis, dark chocolate, and tobacco secondary aromas, can't get enough of those. There's even a touch of bretty funk, and green pepper playing in a dust storm here. WOW!"

Impressive, no? The only changes I made to the above notes were to correct the punctuation. What you see is the verbatim olfactory experience that I had that afternoon.

At first sip the E x S cabernet is intense, full of muscular tannin and a wall of earth, but once you ascend that, there's a beautiful tapestry of ripe fruit flavors. Cassis, blackberry, and cherries are all supported by the continuing undercurrent of firm tannin. This wine is amazing.  The way it is so bold and strong before giving way to a rich, velvety smooth mid-palate is a testament to quality fruit and a talented winemaker. I loved how deep or thick the wine felt as I swirled it around, and the finish was magnificent. Lots of ripe fruit and dark chocolate that tapered off with such supreme elegance. In a way, sensual is perhaps the best descriptor I can think of because you want to know every facet of this cabernet and you want to experience every flavor, nuance, and texture you can.

The 2007 E x S "The Guardian" cabernet sauvignon is the best red wine I have had so far this year. Tasting it reminded me of just how amazing the cabernet grown in Napa Valley is. Drinking this cab reminded me of why I drink wine, in a never-ending quest to find more of these moments. Moments that enrich my life, create a sense of perspective, and add texture to me as a person.

If you're looking for a bottle, visit the Elizabeth Spencer Wines website. It's suggested retail price is $60. However, if you want to purchase some of this outstanding wine, use the code "beausbarrelroom" and receive 10% off your purchase, as a thank you from Elizabeth Spencer Winery!

This wine was a gift from the winery, I received no compensation for this post.

Beau Carufel