Syrah or Shiraz…what do you call this beautiful red wine?
This was the varietal we studied to kick off 2017. We were supposed to take a look at Syrah back in November, but due to illness, work schedules, etc…we postponed our study group until January. Our group was still missing a couple women, but for those present we had an outstanding night. We decided to just meet once a month for now. Winter makes it more difficult to get together. February will find us delving into Grenache/Garnacha…sticking with reds while it is cold outside.
Our wines tonight showcased both old and new world styles and flavor profiles, coming from Australia, California, and France. Each was from the 2013 vintage, which made the tasting even better as we could make a true comparison. Yes, I know, the Aussie Shiraz is technically a bit older, but we are counted them as being from the same year. Our wines were deliciously paired with venison sausage and peppers!! The best part of the entire evening was the evolution of the wines from our start time of 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm…major flavor and aroma changes happening as the night progressed.
Big thanks go out to Wine Folly, the creators of marvelous learning tools for wine lovers and wine students! The graphics, data, and content keep us in the know. We loved the Old World- New World breakdowns. Typically we go through our tasting grid on our own, then we “cheat” a bit and look for what we find in the materials. We are always happy when we have detected the signature profile aromas and flavors!!
While we know the winemaker and the tech sheets may state certain aromas and flavors found in each particular wine, we also understand that each person perceives these things differently. The beauty of our study group is that we each have strengths when detecting monikers for wines…it allows for harmony, learning, and pure enjoyment.
Wine #1 De-Là, Domaine Gilles Troullier, France, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes Fresh earth was what I picked up on right off the bat. As the wine opened up, we detected smoke, leather, dark berry fruit, and some pepper.
Wine #2 6th Sense, Micheal David, Lodi, California Most noticeable fruit aromas- dark ripe blueberry- like pie filling- on the nose of the three, some spice. As this one evolved, we began noticing spice, oak, and again some peppery notes.
Wine #3 Shot-Fire, Thorn-Clarke, Australia, Barossa We felt this was the “greenest” of the three wines, detecting herbal notes, thyme in particular. The fruit came out a bit more with time in the glass, but Shot-Fire remained vegetal/herbal even after an hour or so.
Conclusion: we loved them all!! This is not always the case when we study our varietals. Sometimes we find 1 or two that are lacking in complexity or are just “off”. Not with this trio- great wines, good contrasts, all “90+” in our humble opinions!
