Quick Sip: 2004 Soléna Del Rio Syrah - rich, inky, and delicious

Soléna Syrah Del Rio, Rogue Valley (2004)
Soléna Estate
Syrah
Rogue Valley AVA, OR

This is the first of the warm weather varietals produced by Soléna. The Syrah you can try at the Grand Cru Estate or you can sample it and the other WWVs at their tasting room in Carlton, OR where we joined Lynnette for a flight.

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You say Syrah, I say Shiraz

First, to be clear, Syrah and Shiraz are the very same grape variety. So the actual issue at hand is the pronunciation of "Shiraz" - some say sh-RAHZ while others say sh-RAZZ. The second is correct, much to the chagrin of anyone that deems those hard "A" sounds are just due to my being from the Midwest. It's okay, I've got the entire nation of Australia to back me up.

The grape variety in question has disputed origination, however is notably grown in France's Rhône Valley regions. Here the grape is known as Syrah (see-RAH) and is responsible for the famous varietals of Hermitage as well as blended with other varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and surrounding Côtes-du-Rhône appellations.

In 1832 vine clippings found their way from Europe to Australia given the help of James Busby, a Scottish immigrant to the land down under. Through whatever means the grape came to be called Shiraz (sh-RAZZ) and is now perhaps the most notable, and certainly the most widely planted grape in the country.

The major difference between the wines of Syrah and Shiraz is stylistic. Both wines are full bodied and display a wide range of fruit characteristics. Berries, black pepper, and spice are common in either style. In France, Syrah seems to have more of an earthy, sometimes leathery quality. Shiraz in Australia on the other hand is often fruit-driven with jammy, ripe berry flavors that can sometimes edge out the more subtle earthy notes.

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Quick-Sip: One year blogging and a well deserved Syrah

Coast View Vineyards, Monterey County Syrah (2004)
Savannah Chanelle Winery
Syrah
Coast View Vineyard, Monterey County, CA

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Quick-Sip: Napa Turnbull Red Blend

Old Bull Red (2005)
Turnbull Wine Cellars
70% Merlot | 11% Tempranillo | 7% Petite Sirah | 5% Syrah | 4% Sangiovese | 3% Barbera
Napa Valley, California

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Reprieving DO Montsant of Priorat copy-cat status

Can Blau Montsant(2006)
Cellars Can Blau
40% Mazuelo (Carignan) | 40% Syrah | 20% Garnacha (Grenache)
DO Montsant, Spain

Spain's system of classifying wine regions isn't as old as France's, however it can sometimes be just as confusing. Denominacíon de Origen (DO) laws were first enacted in 1932 and revised in 1970. It wasn't until 1996 that the country established the current tiered system of quality wines produced in specified regions (QWPSR for you fellow wine nerds) in line with EU policy. Even more recently, there have been two additional levels created - Denominacíon de Origen Calificada (DOC) and Denominacíon de Pago. Within the former there are only two regions which have achieved this status - Rioj a and Priorat known for wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha respectively.

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un petit séjour à la cote d'azur

Sunday was another epically gorgeous summer day here in Cleveland. I really don't know what we've done to deserve such a great summer this year. Regardless, it was the perfect setting for a poolside wine tasting with a good number of the folks from Bonjour Cleveland!, the French language Meet-up group I run.

Exploring the wine regions of France since February, our glasses have traveled nearly everywhere - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, Champagne, and the Loire. This month the group chose to sample the wines of southern France including Provence, Languedoc, and Roussilon (often considered together with the Languedoc). Hosted by George at his lovely home in the village of Chagrin Falls (quel drôle nom, eh?) we were anything but chagrined by the gorgeous garden, the sunny skies, and the lovely wines of the Côte d'Azur. (Note- technically the Côte d'Azur runs from Italy just into the Provence region... but hey, it sounds nice!)

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Oregon blend offers great value and quality

River Rock Red (NV)
Rock Point
63% Syrah | 37% Cabernet Sauvignon
Oregon

This wine was brought to my attention by a customer I was talking with recently at Western Reserve Wines. It was part of their "10 Under $10" feature for January and February, and having enjoyed Rock Point's Pinot Noir I thought I'd see how this red blend compared. As an added bonus since the blend isn't listed on the bottle I got to test myself and see if I could figure out what it was. Here are my notes:

Appearance: A clear red wine, ruby hedging garnet red in color, medium intensity - text is visible and mostly legible through glass.

Nose: Clean, with some development from oak aging. Intense non-fruit aromas of oak, tobacco, and earthiness paired with fresh dark fruit notes of plum and black cherry. Also some subtle hints of licorice and smoke.

Palate: Dry wine with medium acidity, body, and tannins. They grip on the tongue mostly, and roll away after a couple moments. More non-fruit flavors reminiscent of nuttiness, oak, and vegetation. Fruit is dark but softly spiced - blackberry, black cherry, and plum. Very smooth finish.

This was an amazing wine given the cost - much more complexity than I would expect from a $10 bottle certainly. A good example of using both old and new world styles, the fruit and earth tones are balanced very well on both the nose and palate. And while the wine is smooth enough to drink on its own I think it would be well paired to food as well. Definitely a great buy!

Cheers!

giving organic, sulfite "free," vegan-friendly wines a chance

California Viognier (2007)
Lodi Syrah (2007)
Orleans Hill Winery

It should be noted that I'm going into this with severe bias against what I'm going to taste. I'm not an "organic" wine advocate, but admittedly only in theory. Wines that claim to have "no sulfites" I think - how is that even possible? Fermentation produces sulfites. And if there are no added sulfites, then how long can the consumer be sure their wine is going to be stable to drink? And these bottles honestly say "Vegan Friendly." Well, no isinglass or egg whites here!

That said, I'm setting aside my preconceptions, and I'm going to give these two organic, vegan-friendly California wines a shot. Like any other wine, they deserve to at least be tried. Here are my notes on each.

California Viognier (bottle notes "Contains Sulfites")
Appearance: Clear, with a beautiful vibrant golden yellow color. Think of fresh straw or hay in the Fall. Also, there was a noticeable amount of foaming when I poured. This was consistent even after the first pour, so maybe it has something to do with the production?

Nose: Clean, and very aromatic. Youthful aromas including apple, citrus, stone fruit, and floral. Yellow apple and floral at the top of the glass, with the apple changing from green to more yellow deeper into the glass. Also lower distinct notes of earthiness or minerality, and a hint of malolactic fermentation or oak.

Palate: Dry with medium alcohol and body. Flabby acidity that almost instantly fell away, and very subtle flavors. I really had to stretch to get even the most basic apple and citrus found on the nose, and there was a little bit of grassiness. Length was very short, lasting only a couple seconds.

Lodi Syrah
Appearance: Clear with medium intensity - I could see text through the wine, but it wasn't very clear. Eye-catching ruby color that was very bright in the glass and had a definite purple hue.

Nose: Clean with moderately intense youthful aromas - red fruit, spice, and oak. Cherry and cinnamon were very noticeable above the glass. Deeper in there was more pepper, clove, nutmeg, and fruit that was almost reminiscent of red licorice.

Palate: Dry wine with medium alcohol and body. Very flabby acid and light tannins. Flavors similar to aromas, but much more subdued: spice, pepper, and oak. Fruit was cherry with a little plum. Also herbaceous notes on the finish - short as it was - like eucalyptus or mint.

Overall I'm going to say both of these wines had awesome color and really great aromas, but both also fell short on the palate. With the pronounced floral and apple aromas of the Viognier, and the spiciness of the Syrah I was really expecting a lot more, but was sadly disappointed. Intensity of flavor, acidity, and length were all severely lacking in my opinion. In all fairness though I can't say this is because of their organic/vegan-friendly status; maybe it was a poor harvest.

Looking at the winery's website I found some more information on organic wines (and the difference between those and wines made with organically grown grapes) as well as insight on the whole sulfite topic. They address some key points regarding the shelf-life of their wines as well as describing how sulfites are measured. Further information on the regulations put in place by the government on organic products can be found at the Agricultural Marketing Service's homepage

I'm totally impressed by the passion these guys put into their product and think the idea of growing organic grapes is cool. With the boom in the organic/natural/chemical-free lifestyle we've been experiencing in the U.S. they certainly have a place within the market. Unfortunately, I just don't care for these two wines, but that's not to say that someone else won't enjoy them - and at $9.99 a bottle I would recommend at least trying them or other wines in this category.

Cheers!