We tasted a lot of terrific Syrah and Shiraz options this winter. The quality of most of the wines was easily Very Good or better. There were very few throw away offerings. The wines covered in this report were covered either by our tasting panel in our Big Blind tasting or in several mini-tastings that we conducted over the last 3 months. There was also a smattering of Syrah and Shiraz offerings that we discovered at this years Boston Wine Expo, including our top 2 wines!
What was our winning Shiraz? It was from Hentley Farm. The 2006 “Clos Otto” Shiraz for $130 is outstanding and completely over the top. We scored this gem 97 points. It was the hit of the Boston Wine Expo. Kudos to the Hentley Farms folks for pouring a $130 bottle of wine to the masses at the Boston Wine Expo. This big boy was really full-bodied, well balanced, rich, and super concentrated. Its extremely extracted blackberry flavors with notes of black pepper and black currant were over the top. Our KWG group of tasters was just raving over this wine! But that was not it. This was just the best offering from Hentley. They were showing 5 terrific wines. Our second place finisher was also from Hentley. It is called “The Beast!” This 2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz for $75 was really impressive. We scored it 95 points and declared it worth every penny. However, we felt “The Beast” was really not much of a Beast. Instead this Excellent 100% Shiraz was medium-bodied, extremely well balanced, and elegant. Its flavor profile was a delicious blend of blueberry and mild blackberry. It is the kind of wine you can’t stop drinking. It was so impressive you will brag about it to friends. But you need to hurry, as there were only 421 cases made.
Our next wine was the leader in the clubhouse until I was surprised at the Boston Wine Expo with the Hentley wines. The 2006 Sequel Syrah for $55 from the Columbia Valley in Washington is Excellent. We scored this Syrah 94 points. This wine blew way its competition in a mini Syrah tasting that we conducted. It is full-bodied, smooth, and elegant with a delicious blend of black raspberry and blackberry flavors. This wine is made by John Duval of Penfolds “Grange” fame. It would be a perfect match for filet mignon and steamed red beets. Yum!
I was also really impressed with 2005 Zaca Mesa “Black Bear” Syrah for $58. The sad part is that there is not much of this gem available as only 497 cases were made. But if you can find it on a wine list grab a bottle while you can. This is an Excellent wine that we score 94 points. It will make you yearn for another glass once you finish the first one. It displays delicious blueberry flavors with notes of boysenberry. Enjoy it with a filet mignon over the next couple of years.
The next Syrah is a Wine Club only wine from Four Vines. It is worth joining the club just to get some. The 2007 “Phoenix” Syrah for $40 is a knockout. We award it with 93 points. It is full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth. It displays tasty black raspberry flavors that are infused with black pepper. Get some soon before it’s gone. P.S. – it has a very cool label.
The next wine was my favorite from a mini-tasting of 6 Syrahs. The 2006 Peju Syrah from the Napa Valley was given 93 points. It’s a very good bargain for $32. It is full-bodied, wonderfully balanced, and smooth. I loved its delicious blueberry flavors with notes of light oak and a touch of black raspberry. This Syrah sang to me. It is rather dry and was a perfect match for my ribeye with sautéed mushrooms in a brown butter sauce.
This next wine seems to be one of my favorites every year. The 2006 Stolpman “Hilltops” Syrah from Santa Ynez scored 92 points this year. It was very well received by our mini-panel. It opens with a very attractive blueberry bouquet with notes of red raspberry. We described it as full-bodied, very nicely balanced, and luscious with tasty ripe blackberry and plum flavors. This Syrah was a light enough offering that we thought it would appeal to Pinot fans as well as Syrah fans. We would match it with filet mignon.
We return to Hentley Farm once again with the 2005 “The Beauty” Shiraz for $50. This wine from the Barossa Valley is 96% Shiraz with a hint of 4% Viognier. We scored it 92 points. We felt this wine was aptly named as it is a “Beauty”. It opens with a very fragrant ripe blackberry bouquet with a hint of oak. We were enamored by how extremely well balanced and elegant it was. You should try it with a ribeye steak.
Argentina does not usually come to mind when you think of Syrah. But the 2008 Luca “Laborde Double Select” Syrah will convince you otherwise. At our mini-tasting this Syrah was very popular and we scored it 91 points. It was also by far the best deal at $25. It is full-bodied, nicely balanced, and smooth with a tasty black raspberry flavor profile. It was a perfect match for my veal marsala.
If you are a superstar golfer and accomplished everything you can in your game, it is time to take on a new challenge. That is exactly what Annika Sorenstram did. She decided to start a wine project. Like her golf game, we think she and her team produced a winner. The 2006 Annika Syrah from Livermore Valley in CA was awarded 91 points from our mini-panel. It is full-bodied, very well balanced, and smooth. Tasters noted how much they liked the mouth feel. Its flavor profile is a pleasant blend of red raspberry and cherry vanilla with notes of integrated light oak. It costs $75 and there were only 611 cases made. So grab a couple of bottles before it is gone.
The next Syrah is one that I have liked for the last two vintages. The 2006 Montemaggiore “Paolo’s Vineyard” Syrah from the Dry Creek Valley really impressed several tasters. Its smoky old oak and black cherry bouquet along with its mild black currant flavors really drew them in. It is a very food-friendly option and it would be a perfect match for veal marsala.
The Krupp Brothers “Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard” Syrah is our close friend’s favorite wine and the 2006 vintage will keep them coming back for more. We scored it 91 points. It is ironic that it opens with a smoky campfire and blackberry-like bouquet. As these close friends are our camping buddies. On the palate, the wine is nicely balanced and very concentrated with savory blackberry favors. We also detected notes of black pepper and spicy black raspberry mixed in as well. We all agreed that this suave Syrah would pair perfectly with a big and thick ribeye, on the campfire grill of course.
Our next Shiraz is not for the faint of heart. It is for those readers who enjoy big and extracted Aussie Shiraz. The 2006 D’Arenberg “Dead Arm” Shiraz for $65 is full-bodied, balanced, and very rich. It displays extracted blackberry flavors with notes of black currant and mulberry. Its noticeable tannins are long and caressing. Readers who like this full blown over the top style of wine will love this one.
The next few Shiraz and Syrahs are all 90 point wines and we will give you a snippet of each one to chew on. Click through to see the full reviews. The 2007 Stolpman “Estate” Syrah for $34 was one of our better value Syrahs. It finished in 3rd place in our Big Blind tasting.
The next 2 wines both come from the Kick Ranch in Sonoma County. The 2007 Paul Hobbs “Kick Ranch” Syrah was well balanced and smooth. It would be a fine food wine that would pair well with filet mignon with a mushroom risotto. The second wine from this ranch is the 2006 Rosenblum Cellars “Kick Ranch Reserve” Syrah for $45. It took 2nd place in our big blind tasting and it was my personal favorite on the evening. Like the Hobbs it displayed fine tannins that drifted away nicely and would make it perfect with filet mignon.
Shafer “Relentless” is always a top Syrah and the 2006 is no exception. It displays ripe blackberry and black currant flavors with lots of black pepper mixed in. We thought this full throttle Syrah would go well with beef bourguignon. Another big boy is the 2006 Kuleto “Estate” Syrah from the Napa Valley for $45. It displays a pleasant blend of mild black currant and black raspberry flavors with notes of oak and tobacco. However, it closes with really big tannins that leave you with an oak and dark chocolate aftertaste. It is a very interesting wine that is soft in the center, but finishes really big in the end. Give it some time and some air before enjoying.
For our next Syrah we go back to Rosenblum. Their 2006 “Snows Lake Vineyard” Syrah for $25 was my favorite from a mini-blind tasting that I conducted. It was medium-bodied, balanced, and very smooth. Its ripe blueberry flavors with notes of oak and spices were very tasty. It did finish with dry and substantial tannins that build in your mouth for quite a while. So in the short run this wine needs fat. Pair it with pot roast or prime rib.
Other Recommended Syrah and Shiraz:
1. Penley Estate 2005 Shiraz “Special Select” (Coonawarra, Australia) $60 (90)
2. Cakebread 2007 Syrah “Carneros” (CA) $51 (90)
3. Hentley Farm 2006 Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia) $30 (90)
4. Fess Parker 2006 Syrah “The Big Easy” (Santa Barbara, CA) $39 (89)
5. Kendall Jackson 2007 Syrah “Alisos Hills” (Santa Barbara, CA) $35 (89)
6. John Duvall 2007 Syrah “Entity” (Barossa Valley, Austalia) $40 (89)
7. Novy 2007 Syrah “Gary’s Vineyard” (Santa Lucia Highlands, CA) $33 (89)
8. Brampton 2007 Shiraz “Coastal Region” (Stellenbosch, South Africa) $14 (89)
9. Four Vines 2007 Syrah “Paso Robles” (CA) $18 (89)
10. Pillar Box 2007 Shiraz “Reserve” (Padthaway, Australia) $20 (89)
11. Zaca Mesa 2006 Syrah (Santa Ynez, CA) $22 (88)
12. Michael David Phillips 2006 Syrah “Earthquake” (Lodi, CA) $28 (88)
13. Layer Cake 2008 Shiraz (South Australia) $16 (88)
14. Michael David Phillips 2007 Syrah “Sixth Sense” (Lodi, CA) $17 (88)
15. Leeuwin Estate 2006 Shiraz “Siblings” (Margaret River, Australia) $20 (88)
16. Leeuwin Estate 2006 Shiraz “Art Series” (Margaret River, Australia) $35 (88)
17. D’Arenberg 2008 Shiraz “The Stump Jump” (McLaren Vale, Aust.) $11 (88)
18. Four Vines 2007 Syrah “One Tree Hill Block” (Santa Barbara, CA) $40 (88)
19. Buried Cane 2007 Syrah (Washington) $15 (87)
As you can see we have tons of Syrah and Shiraz suggestions for you. We hope you have as much fun with these as we did.
Cheers,
Ken
Love that Stagecoach! 🙂 There’s nothing better than great wine and close friends!