Syrah

This has shed its baby fat and is drinking very well.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, spice, white pepper, slightly grilled meats and leather. Great texture. Big but with finesse. No sign of heat. Lots black and red fruits on the palate. Depth. Manageable tannins. Long finish. This is delicious.  Drinking youthfully but no harm in opening now.  This is great on its own but will work well with roasted meats or veggies.  Indian food will work well too.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  

This is a nice Syrah from the Northern Rhone that is not expensive and drinking well now.  Garnet in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight at first but opens quickly showing black cherries, char, slight black raspberries and slight black olive.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with char and good acidity.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for the next five to seven years.  A nice wine with pizza or a (veggie) burger.  

This is a blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre checking in at 15.8% ABV.  Yes, it is a big wine, but the alcohol is very integrated and while it still packs a punch it is not noticeable on the palate.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, oak, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is still youthful although past the baby stage.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, some blueberries and plums with underlying char and black pepper.  This is deep and complex.  No harm drinking now, it is delicious, but this w

This is a blend of 97% Syrah with 3% Petite Sirah.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight but opens after about an hour.  Spice, black raspberries, some smoke along with roasted meats and herbs and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Has a bit more elegance than prior vintages perhaps due to less Petite Sirah?  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with underlying char and earth.  Some black pepper, too.  Nice finish.  This may still improve a bit and while it drinks well now, it may be worth cellaring for another three to seven years.  Either way, it will drink we

This is a blend of 73% Syrah, and 27% Grenache from Paso Robles in California's central coast.  While this was a difficult vintage, Torrin seems to have no issues obtaining ripeness.  The label lists 16.1% abv.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, iodine, tar, with a rich earthiness.  Full bodied.  Great texture.  The acid seems a bit on the lower side.  On the palate, pure black raspberries fruit with underlying char and earth.  Long finish.  This is very tasty and probably easier to drink on its own than to match with food.  If trying

This took about 30 minutes to blow off bottle stink and open after removing the cork.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, smoke and a nice earthiness.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with a bit of smoke and underlying minerality.  The tannins are all resolved and this is ready to drink.  Good balance.  Long finish.  Drink over the next five years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with foods off the grill (although not sea food).  

This is 100% Syrah from France.  Garnet in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The  nose has some boysenberries and smoke.  Medium bodied with light tannins.  On the palate, cranberries, black cherries and some char.  Moderate finish.  This is a nice wine although I would have a hard time guessing Syrah if tasting blind.  It drinks easy and price right.  Drink over the next few years.  It would work well with Indian food.  

Sometimes, one grabs the wrong bottle by accident from the cellar.  Such was the fate of this bottle.

From a different time, back when Pax Mahle was making really big wines in really big bottles.  The label lists 15.5% ABV.  For those who questioned how well a wine like this could age, at 17, this is doing just fine with years left.  Purple in color with ruby around the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, slight black raspberries, spice, slight root beer note and a wisp of smoke.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black cherries, blueberries, spice and slight earthiness.  Long finish.  No sign of alcohol in the wine.  This is fresh and vibrant.  It seems like it could

This is a really special vintage from a special winery.  In fact, this is arguably the best wine that Saxum has ever made.  A real treat to be able to try it again at age 14.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, slight black cherries, black olives, roasted meat and slight smoke.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has that lovely lightness of being while still packing a wallop.  Black raspberries, char, some black olives and slight roasted meats.  Great acidity and balance.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This seems to be at matur