Syrah

This is from golfer Greg Norman's wines releases under his name, this time from Paso Robles, California.  The vineyard is/was part of the Penfold's California vineyards.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, sandalwood, dried berries, and black pepper.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is past prime but still with something to offer.  Black raspberry fruit, dried fruits, slight prune and black pepper.  Good finish.  Drink up.  It would be better with food.  Grilled meats would be a good pairing.

This is a lighter style of cool climate Syrah.  It was co-fermented with 3-5% Viognier.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has macerated cherries, dry tea and dried floral notes.  Light bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, thin cherries.  Moderate finish.  This is not a style of Syrah that I particularly favor but for those looking for a lighter Syrah, this might be perfect.  It worked well with soft goat cheese.  Drink over the next year or two.  

Bottled only in Magnum.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic Washington Syrah.  Black raspberries, char, slight burnt rubber, slight chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nicely balanced.  On the palate, flavors of black raspberries, slight chocolate, char, black pepper and slight roasted meats.  Long finish.  This is complex and deep.  Still young but moving along.  Drink over the next ten to twenty years.  It will work well with grilled or Roasted foods (not seafood).

Purple/ruby in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with dust, black raspberries, black olives and spice.  Lovely texture.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, raspberries, black raspberries, some char and a really interesting "sourdough bread" note.  Some warmth on the finish.  This is drinking well but should still improve with good cellaring.  It is great on its own and will works with many foods.  Grilled Eggplant would be nice but it would work with peppercorn encrusted steak or even tuna.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

This is Syrah from Washington.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight burnt rubber and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is lush black raspberry fruit with a bit of an herbal streak.  Good finish.  Overall, a pretty classic profile for a Washington state Syrah.  This is drinking well and nearing maturity but should drink well for another eight to twelve years.  It is very nice on its own and should work well with many foods.  It would pair well with Indian cuisine.  

This drank very well considering how young it is.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, cedar, black olives, slight violets and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is big and tasty.  Concentrated.  ll no doubt improve a bit as it matures, it offers up plenty of black raspberries, spice, roasted herbs and slight blueberries.  Long finish.  This should go another twenty years.  It is great on its own but needs big food for now.  It worked well with pizza but would also be nice  with Roasted Squash.