Wine Wednesday – Que Syrah Shiraz …

September 26th, 2012

I love fall!  Love the coolness in the evening air, the moistness in the morning and the tolerable heat during the day.

September in Colorado

Better than the weather, my taste buds prefer heavier, full-bodied wine.  A white or rose wine doesn’t have the oomph I crave in my wine come fall.

While re-arranging my wine closet, I decided to taste Syrah.  I have lots of bottles of Syrah in my closet — do I even like them?  So the next few Wine Wednesdays will be tasting Syrah and Shiraz.  Petite Sirah, which I know I like alot, is different.

“Syrah or Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines. Whether sold as Syrah or Shiraz, these wines enjoy great popularity.

DNA profiling in 1999 found Syrah to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche.”

Taste and flavours

Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called “typical” though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these “primary” notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory “tertiary” notes such as leather and truffle. “Secondary” flavor and aroma notes are those associated with several things, generally winemakers’ practices (such as oak barrel and yeast treatment).

[Source: wikipedia]

1st up: 2007 Chapin Syrah, Temecula Valley California

2007 Chapin Syrah

Chapin Family Vineyards

From their website:  Chapin famous State Syrah goes through full berry maceration during fermentation, delivering a full- bodied, dark, rich flavor wine, with a smooth, velvety finish.  Fruity aromas of vanilla, plum and, black currant, along with long lasting flavors of blueberry, cranberry and, oak spices are derived from Appalachian oak barrels.  This complex Syrah is elegant and can be enjoyed alone or with your favorite barbecued steak.  Enjoy! ($46)

My tasting:  Once opened, the heady aroma of chocolate, blackberries rushes from the bottle and glass.  On my  tongue, there was a lot of fruit and oak, followed by a slight taste of tannin.   Initially it wasn’t a favorite.   To my surprise, it went very well with my bowl of baby lima beans and biscuits and was tasty for another glass.

2007 Chapin Syrah, Temecula Valley California

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