{"id":64,"date":"2010-03-22T22:58:24","date_gmt":"2010-03-22T22:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=64"},"modified":"2010-03-22T22:58:24","modified_gmt":"2010-03-22T22:58:24","slug":"syrahs-that-sing-to-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=64","title":{"rendered":"Syrahs That Sing To You!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Shiraz-Syrah\"We\u00c2\u00a0tasted a lot of terrific Syrah and Shiraz options this winter.\u00c2\u00a0 The quality of most of the wines was easily Very Good or better.\u00c2\u00a0 There were very few throw away offerings.\u00c2\u00a0 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.\u00c2\u00a0 There was also a smattering of Syrah<\/strong> and Shiraz<\/strong> offerings that we discovered at this years Boston Wine Expo, including our top 2 wines!<\/p>\n

\"Hentley-Farm-2006-Clos-Otto-Shiraz\"What was our winning Shiraz?\u00c2\u00a0 It was from Hentley Farm<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 “Clos Otto” Shiraz<\/a><\/strong> for $130<\/strong> is outstanding and completely over the top.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this gem 97 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the hit of the Boston Wine Expo.\u00c2\u00a0 Kudos to the Hentley Farms folks for pouring a $130 bottle of wine to the masses at the Boston Wine Expo.\u00c2\u00a0 This big boy was really full-bodied, well balanced, rich, and super concentrated.\u00c2\u00a0 Its extremely extracted blackberry flavors with notes of black pepper and black currant were over the top.\u00c2\u00a0 Our KWG group of tasters was just raving over this wine!\u00c2\u00a0 But that was not it.\u00c2\u00a0 This was just the best offering from Hentley.\u00c2\u00a0 They were showing 5 terrific wines.\u00c2\u00a0 Our second place finisher was also from Hentley<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is called “The Beast!”<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This 2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz<\/a><\/strong> for $75<\/strong> was really impressive.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored it 95 points<\/strong> and declared it worth every penny.\u00c2\u00a0 However, we felt\u00c2\u00a0“The Beast”<\/strong> was really not much of a Beast.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead this Excellent<\/strong> 100% Shiraz was medium-bodied, extremely well balanced, and elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 Its flavor profile was a delicious blend of blueberry and mild blackberry.\u00c2\u00a0 It is the kind of wine you can't stop drinking.\u00c2\u00a0 It was so impressive you will brag about it to friends.\u00c2\u00a0 But you need to hurry, as there were only 421 cases made.<\/p>\n

\"Sequel-2006-Syrah\"Our next wine was the leader in the clubhouse until I was surprised at the Boston Wine Expo with the Hentley wines.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Sequel Syrah<\/strong><\/a> for $55<\/strong> from the Columbia Valley in Washington is Excellent<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored this Syrah 94 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine blew way its competition in a mini Syrah tasting that we conducted.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, smooth, and elegant with a delicious blend of black raspberry and blackberry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine is made by John Duval<\/strong> of Penfolds “Grange”<\/strong> fame.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be a perfect match for filet mignon and steamed red beets.\u00c2\u00a0 Yum!<\/p>\n

I was also really impressed with 2005 Zaca Mesa “Black Bear” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> for $58<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The sad part is that there is not much of this gem available as only 497 cases were made.\u00c2\u00a0 But if you can find it on a wine list grab a bottle while you can.\u00c2\u00a0 This is an Excellent<\/strong> wine that we score 94 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It will make you yearn for another glass once you finish the first one.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays delicious blueberry flavors with notes of boysenberry.\u00c2\u00a0 Enjoy it with a filet mignon over the next couple of years.<\/p>\n

\"Four-Vines-2007-Phoenix-Syrah\"The next Syrah is a Wine Club only wine from Four Vines<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is worth joining the club just to get some.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 “Phoenix” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> for $40<\/strong> is a knockout.\u00c2\u00a0 We award it with 93 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays tasty black raspberry flavors that are infused with black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 Get some soon before it's gone.\u00c2\u00a0 P.S. – it has a very cool label.<\/p>\n

The next wine was my favorite from a mini-tasting of 6 Syrahs.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Peju Syrah<\/strong><\/a> from the Napa Valley was given 93 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It's a very good bargain for $32<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, wonderfully balanced, and smooth.\u00c2\u00a0 I loved its delicious blueberry flavors with notes of light oak and a touch of black raspberry.\u00c2\u00a0 This Syrah sang to me.\u00c2\u00a0 It is rather dry and was a perfect match for my ribeye with saut\u00e9ed mushrooms in a brown butter sauce.<\/p>\n

\"Stolpman_2006_Hilltops_Syrah\"This next wine seems to be one of my favorites every year.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Stolpman “Hilltops” Syrah<\/strong><\/a> from Santa Ynez scored 92 points<\/strong> this year.\u00c2\u00a0 It was very well received by our mini-panel.\u00c2\u00a0 It opens with a very attractive blueberry bouquet with notes of red raspberry.\u00c2\u00a0 We described it as full-bodied, very nicely balanced, and luscious with tasty ripe blackberry and plum flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 This Syrah was a light enough offering that we thought it would appeal to Pinot fans as well as Syrah fans.\u00c2\u00a0 We would match it with filet mignon.<\/p>\n

We return to Hentley Farm<\/strong> once again with the 2005 “The Beauty” Shiraz<\/a><\/strong> for $50<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine from the Barossa Valley is 96% Shiraz with a hint of 4% Viognier.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored it 92 points.\u00c2\u00a0 We felt this wine was aptly named as it is a “Beauty”.\u00c2\u00a0 It opens with a very fragrant ripe blackberry bouquet with a hint of oak.\u00c2\u00a0 We were enamored by how extremely well balanced and elegant it was.\u00c2\u00a0 You should try it with a ribeye steak.<\/p>\n

Argentina does not usually come to mind when you think of Syrah.\u00c2\u00a0 But the 2008 Luca “Laborde Double Select” Syrah <\/strong><\/a>will convince you otherwise.\u00c2\u00a0 At our mini-tasting this Syrah was very popular and we scored it 91 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It was also by far the best deal at $25<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, nicely balanced, and smooth with a tasty black raspberry flavor profile.\u00c2\u00a0 It was a perfect match for my veal marsala.<\/p>\n

\"Annika-Syrah\"If you are a superstar golfer and accomplished everything you can in your game, it is time to take on a new challenge.\u00c2\u00a0 That is exactly what Annika Sorenstram<\/strong> did.\u00c2\u00a0 She decided to start a wine project.\u00c2\u00a0 Like her golf game, we think she and her team produced a winner.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Annika Syrah<\/a><\/strong> from Livermore Valley in CA was awarded 91 points<\/strong> from our mini-panel.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full-bodied, very well balanced, and smooth.\u00c2\u00a0 Tasters noted how much they liked the mouth feel.\u00c2\u00a0 Its flavor profile is a pleasant blend of red raspberry and cherry vanilla with notes of integrated light oak. It costs $75<\/strong> and there were only 611 cases made.\u00c2\u00a0 So grab a couple of bottles before it is gone.<\/p>\n

The next Syrah is one that I have liked for the last two vintages.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Montemaggiore “Paolo’s Vineyard” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

\"Krupp-Brothers-2006-Syrah-Black-Bart-Stagecoach\"The Krupp Brothers “Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> is our close friend's favorite wine and the 2006<\/strong> vintage will keep them coming back for more.\u00c2\u00a0 We scored it 91 points<\/strong>. It is ironic that it opens with a smoky campfire and blackberry-like bouquet.\u00c2\u00a0 As these close friends are our camping buddies.\u00c2\u00a0 On the palate, the wine is nicely balanced and very concentrated with savory blackberry favors.\u00c2\u00a0 We also detected notes of black pepper and spicy black raspberry mixed in as well.\u00c2\u00a0 We all agreed that this suave Syrah would pair perfectly with a big and thick ribeye, on the campfire grill of course.<\/p>\n

Our next Shiraz is not for the faint of heart.\u00c2\u00a0 It is for those readers who enjoy big and extracted Aussie Shiraz.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 D’Arenberg “Dead Arm” Shiraz<\/a><\/strong> for $65<\/strong> is full-bodied, balanced, and very rich.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays extracted blackberry flavors with notes of black currant and mulberry.\u00c2\u00a0 Its noticeable tannins are long and caressing.\u00c2\u00a0 Readers who like this full blown over the top style of wine will love this one.<\/p>\n

The next few Shiraz and Syrahs are all 90 point wines<\/strong> and we will give you a snippet of each one to chew on.\u00c2\u00a0 Click through to see the full reviews.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 Stolpman “Estate” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> for\u00c2\u00a0$34<\/strong> was one of our better value Syrahs.\u00c2\u00a0 It finished in 3rd place<\/strong> in our Big Blind tasting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Paul_Hobbs_2007_Kick_Ranch_Syrah\"The next 2 wines both come from the Kick Ranch<\/a><\/strong> in Sonoma County.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 Paul Hobbs “Kick Ranch” Syrah<\/strong><\/a> was well balanced and smooth. It would be a fine food wine that would pair well with filet mignon with a mushroom risotto.\u00c2\u00a0 The second wine from this ranch is the 2006 Rosenblum Cellars “Kick Ranch Reserve” Syrah<\/a><\/strong> for $45<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It took 2nd place in our big blind tasting<\/strong> and it was my personal favorite on the evening.\u00c2\u00a0 Like the Hobbs it displayed fine tannins that drifted away nicely and would make it perfect with filet mignon.<\/p>\n

\"Shafer-2006-Relentless\"Shafer “Relentless”<\/strong><\/a> is always a top Syrah<\/strong> and the 2006<\/strong> is no exception.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays ripe blackberry and black currant flavors with lots of black pepper mixed in.\u00c2\u00a0 We thought this full throttle Syrah would go well with beef bourguignon.\u00c2\u00a0 Another big boy is the 2006 Kuleto “Estate” Syrah<\/strong><\/a> from the Napa Valley for $45<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays a pleasant blend of mild black currant and black raspberry flavors with notes of oak and tobacco.\u00c2\u00a0 However, it closes with really big tannins that leave you with an oak and dark chocolate aftertaste.\u00c2\u00a0 It is a very interesting wine that is soft in the center, but finishes really big in the end.\u00c2\u00a0 Give it some time and some air before enjoying.<\/p>\n

For our next Syrah we go back to Rosenblum<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Their 2006 “Snows Lake Vineyard” Syrah<\/strong><\/a> for $25<\/strong> was my favorite from a mini-blind tasting that I conducted. It was medium-bodied, balanced, and very smooth.\u00c2\u00a0 Its ripe blueberry flavors with notes of oak and spices were very tasty.\u00c2\u00a0 It did finish with dry and substantial tannins that build in your mouth for quite a while.\u00c2\u00a0 So in the short run this wine needs fat.\u00c2\u00a0 Pair it with pot roast or prime rib.<\/p>\n

Other Recommended Syrah and Shiraz:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00c2\u00a0Penley Estate 2005 Shiraz “Special Select”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Coonawarra, Australia) $60<\/strong> (90<\/strong>)
\n2.\u00c2\u00a0Cakebread 2007 Syrah “Carneros”<\/a><\/strong> (CA) $51<\/strong> (90<\/strong>)
\n3.\u00c2\u00a0Hentley Farm 2006 Shiraz<\/strong><\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 (Barossa Valley, Australia) $30<\/strong> (90<\/strong>)
\n4.\u00c2\u00a0Fess Parker 2006 Syrah “The Big Easy”<\/a><\/strong> (Santa Barbara, CA)\u00c2\u00a0$39<\/strong> (89<\/strong>)
\n5.\u00c2\u00a0Kendall Jackson 2007 Syrah “Alisos Hills”<\/a><\/strong> (Santa Barbara, CA) $35<\/strong> (89<\/strong>)
\n6.\u00c2\u00a0John Duvall 2007 Syrah “Entity”<\/a><\/strong> (Barossa Valley, Austalia) $40<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(89<\/strong>)
\n7.\u00c2\u00a0Novy 2007 Syrah “Gary’s Vineyard”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Santa Lucia Highlands, CA) $33<\/strong> (89<\/strong>)
\n8.\u00c2\u00a0 Brampton 2007 Shiraz “Coastal Region”<\/a><\/strong> (Stellenbosch, South Africa)\u00c2\u00a0$14<\/strong> (89<\/strong>)
\n9.\u00c2\u00a0Four Vines 2007 Syrah “Paso Robles”<\/a><\/strong> (CA) $18<\/strong> (89<\/strong>)
\n10.\u00c2\u00a0Pillar Box 2007 Shiraz “Reserve”<\/strong><\/a> (Padthaway, Australia) $20<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(89<\/strong>)
\n11.\u00c2\u00a0Zaca Mesa 2006 Syrah<\/a><\/strong> (Santa Ynez, CA) $22<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(88<\/strong>)
\n12.\u00c2\u00a0Michael David Phillips 2006 Syrah “Earthquake”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Lodi, CA) $28<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n13.\u00c2\u00a0Layer Cake 2008 Shiraz<\/a><\/strong> (South Australia) $16<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n14.\u00c2\u00a0Michael David Phillips 2007 Syrah “Sixth Sense”<\/a><\/strong> (Lodi, CA) $17<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n15.\u00c2\u00a0Leeuwin Estate 2006 Shiraz “Siblings”<\/a><\/strong> (Margaret River, Australia)\u00c2\u00a0$20<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n16.\u00c2\u00a0Leeuwin Estate 2006 Shiraz “Art Series”<\/strong><\/a> (Margaret River, Australia)\u00c2\u00a0$35<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n17.\u00c2\u00a0D’Arenberg\u00c2\u00a0 2008 Shiraz “The Stump Jump”<\/a><\/strong> (McLaren Vale, Aust.) $11<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(88<\/strong>)
\n18.\u00c2\u00a0Four Vines 2007 Syrah “One Tree Hill Block”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Santa Barbara, CA) $40<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n19.\u00c2\u00a0Buried Cane 2007 Syrah<\/a><\/strong> (Washington) $15<\/strong> (87<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

As you can see we have tons of Syrah<\/strong> and Shiraz<\/strong> suggestions for you.\u00c2\u00a0 We hope you have as much fun with these as we did.<\/p>\n

Cheers,
\nKen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u00c2\u00a0tasted a lot of terrific Syrah and Shiraz options this winter.\u00c2\u00a0 The quality of most of the wines was easily Very Good or better.\u00c2\u00a0 There were very few throw away offerings.\u00c2\u00a0 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,42,43,8,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kens-wine-guide-tasting-panel","category-shiraz","category-syrah","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=64"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=64"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=64"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=64"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}