Syrah

This is a 51%/49% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black raspberries, graphite, black pepper, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of cassis, \black cherries, black raspberries, slight herbal note (mint?), spice and char.  Long finish.  This is deep and complex if still very young.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  This is great on its own and will work well with grilled meat, fowl or veggies.
 

This is a Rhone blend of 72% Shiraz, 13% Grenache, 12% Mataro, and 3% Viognier.  Deep purple/garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, plums, black cherries, black pepper and dark chocolate.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tasty with depth and complexity.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is still very young and will improve.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  very nice on its own, this would be a nice pairing with Indian cuisine.  

This is a classic Barossa Shiraz.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black licorice and slight violet notes.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, spice, black pepper and slight roasted meats.  Long finish.  This is still young and will benefit from a few more years in a good cellar.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen.  This is great on its own and will work well with roasted meats or root vegetables.  Excellent value.

Washington’s Columbia Valley has long produced Cabernet. Though vine plantings started in the 1960s, it was the 1930s that saw the plantings of traditional grapes like Cabernet and Chardonnay. Now the Valley is well know and producing some very good wine. On initial opening of the 2022 Greenwing Cabernet, there is noticeable jammy fruit and as first an overt sweetness. But this Cabernet needs time to evolve and within 45 minutes the sweet fruit has subsided and the tannins and oak take over, giving you a quality Cabernet.

Probably my favorite Napa Syrah.  It is made at the top of Mt.

This is a wine from Morocco made by Rhone producer Alain Graillot at a Moroccan winery.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper,  roasted meats and spices.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is a big Syrah by Rhone terms (not California).  Flashy black raspberry fruit with some depth.  Flavors of black raspberries with some herbal notes and black pepper.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and would work nice with meaty foods.  Shawarma seems like it would be a fun match.  

Whitehall Lane Winery has a focus on red wines, more Cabernet driven wines. This 2019 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel offers notes of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, boysenberry, and huckleberry. The fruit is fully structured by moderate to mature tannins, the use of judicious oak, and a mild acidity. There are back notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and light campfire. This is definitely a food friendly red wine to pair with a various dishes, but it’s also a wine that makes you remember how good Napa wines can be when they’re treated with restraint.

This is  95% Syrah and 5% Petite Sirah from Israel.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, gravel, roasted meats,  and minerality.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is varietally correct.  Black raspberry fruit with gravelly minerality and slight char.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own and would be welcome with a brisket at a Passover Seder.  Drink over the next five to seven years. 

This Syrah was co-fermented with 2% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is expressive with black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper, and slight floral notes.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is still primary.  Big black raspberry fruit.  With air some black pepper and meaty notes come out.  Also a touch of char.  Good finish.  This needs a few more years and could handle much more.  It should drink well for another 15 years.  Very nice on its own, this will need big meaty/roasted flavors for now.  Plenty of upside

The wines of SQN are so good, it can be hard to wait on them so it was a real treat to find this in my cellar.  At age 17, it is still youthful but showing development.  It is outstanding.  It is 93% Syrah, 4.5% Grenache and 2.5% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted meats and dried herbs, and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is complex and deep.  Flavors of black raspberries with black pepper and a nice earthiness.  Great texture.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is great on its own