Syrah

Paso Robles is making some of the best Syrahs anywhere in the world.  They have a warm fruit profile and are delicious.  Dark purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight roasted meats, black pepper and spice.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Juicy yet lush.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with pepper notes and some underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This works with roasted foods.  Another good match are Indian foods.  

I love Saxum wines.  They might not be or everyone, but more times than not, they are crowd pleasers.  This one was served with friends along side a cheese course at the end of a meal and it was wonderful.  It is blend of 57% Grenache (60% aged in concrete), 31% Mourvedre, and 12% Syrah.  It has very high alcohol levels and a ton of fruit.  It drinks well on its own or needs some hearty food (or cheeses) to stand up to it.  inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, some white pepper, black cherries, spice and slight roasted herbs.  On the palate, this has a lovely energetic qua

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, slight raspberries, a bit of minerality and spice.  On the palate, this is mid-weight.  Drinking well right now.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  Ripe enough black raspberry fruit.  This will work well with stews and roasts and is better with food.  Some peppery qualities on the finish.  Probably needs to be consumed in the next five years.  

Finally.  I have been drinking this wine since release and it is finally approaching ready to drink.  There was always potential but it has now been realized.  Hopefully, everyone still has some left.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper and slight roasted meat and roasted herbs.  On the palate, this is not big but it is concentrated.  Lots of black raspberry fruit but not over ripe.  A nice under layer or char and slight salinity.  Very nice balance and texture.  Long finish.  This begs for roasted meats or veggies though Indian food would work well too.  It shou

From Magnum.  Wonderful aged Syrah but it is starting to show it's age.  Purple in color.  The nose has black olives, boysenberries, slight black pepper and a hint of bacon fat.  On the palate, this has a nice backbone of acidity.  Layers of black raspberry fruit with some earthiness, some black olives and a bit of pepper.  Long finish.  Worked well with a wide variety of foods.  This probably should be drunk up in the next five years or so.  

My friend Robert was having a birthday.  I brought a Magnum of this as it is always a crowd pleaser.  And, it did not disappoint.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, roasted meats, and slight floral note.  With air some coffee grounds come out.  On the palate, this was pop and pout and took only about twenty minutes to open though it continued to improve all night.  Lots of black raspberry fruit intertwined with smoke and roasted meats.  Medium tannins.  Great precision and balance.  Long finish.  This needs big or spicy foods but will work with those and o

This is a hodgepodge of grapes made in a "natural wine" style.  Twenty-five percent Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Cinsault, Mondeuse, and Zinfandel from one source; another 25% Valdiguié; and the rest Syrah, Tannat, St. Laurent, and Carignan made from vineyards across California.  This was being closed out at a local wine store for $20.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a sweaty sock quality to it.  Once you get past that, there are some cherries and pomegranate notes.

My friend Charlie came by.  Now Charlie likes his wines big and young and we both love Saxum.  That sure seemed like a great opportunity to pull and young'un from the cellar and see what it was showing.  The surprising thing was how good and accessible this was already.  It's not at peak and will improve with cellaring, but if you have more than one, it's not a tragedy to open one now.  33% Grenache, 32% Mourvedre, 24% Syrah and 11% Counoise.   Purple in color, slight ruby line at the rim.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, white pepper and slight floral notes.  This

Bedrock makes some great wines, but the low end of their pricing/releases gives consumers some of the best values in red wine.  This is their basic Syrah which is available to mailing list customers for around $21 delivered.  It is a classic, cooler climate but California Syrah.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, some black pepper, slight roasted meats and a bit of leather.  On the palate, this is tannic and tight.  With air, there is great black raspberry fruit with some damp earthiness underneath and a little peppery quality.  Wonderful texture.  Good finish.  Will work be

Biased review.  This wine is now starting to be approachable.  Pop and pour, it is still young but in my biased opinion, showing well.  Of course, part of this is because having made the wine, it was made in a style I love.  Most of the fruit is from the Halcon Vineyard.  This is a cooler climate Syrah.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, slight bacon fact, leather and roasted meats.  A nice of gravel as well.  On the palate, I love the texture.  Not a monster, but juicy fruit without being over blown.  Medium tannins.  Great acidity.  This will work with roasted dishes, cas