Sep

23

We’ve taken it as a good omen that the first Weekday Wine post from our new home relates to a truly outstanding pick.  Folks, for the money, we could not possibly expect a better deal than the 2006 Qupé Syrah.  It’s just that good.Why?  Stunning aromatics of berry, flowers and smoked meat deceived us into thinking that the wine would be heavy, but we were delightfully surprised to find a gorgeously elegant body.

To put it the way our local merchant did: this is easily a $25 or $30 wine.  I mean, honestly, it really is.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Wine Impression in the Laurel Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.  You can also find one using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com.

Jul

22

eds-red-napa-valley-2005.jpgEd’s Red Napa Valley 2005 is a mixture of Bordeaux varietals (47% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon) with Syrah (16%) and Petite Sirah (13%), and in  stereotypical California style, it is enormous.  The intensity of its purplish ruby red color – it’s practically opaque – was a nice clue as to its large body, but we only experienced the full effect when we took a sip.  Aside from the filling texture, we could easily feel the heat of the high alcohol content (15%), which was fortunately moderated by plenty of acidity.  In the nose, we found a mixture of spice, prune, and cranberry, and after taking a sip, we found flavors that were more of the same.  

As we’ve mentioned before, huge “new world” wines aren’t typically our thing, but in our bottle of Ed’s Red Napa Valley we were happy to have deviated from the lighter style that we usually prefer.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

  

Jul

10

curtis-syrah-2004.jpgOur Weekend Wine for this week, Curtis Ambassador’s Vineyard Syrah 2004, hails from California’s Santa Ynez Valley, right near Santa Barbara.  

The Curtis Syrah is yet another one of those wines that almost makes you forget that you’re drinking a beverage made from grapes.  It had exotic scents of prune and spice (maybe cinnamon gum right out of the wrapper?), and flavors of black pepper, blueberry, and cherry, all of which we enjoyed.  It was also big, but not gargantuan, in body – we found it so delicious that its high alcohol content (hefty at 15.5%) was barely noticeable.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumjack on Fillmore Street in San Francisco.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

Jun

17

les-galets-rouges.jpgWe’re huge fans of Syrah these days.  Recently, we drank a privately produced bottle of an Israeli version, and it was off-the-charts delicious.  That prompted us to seek out more of the varietal for today’s posting, this time from France. 

Why France, you ask? Well, we’ve found that Syrah from warmer climates in the $10-$20 price range have a tendency to be a bit too heavy-bodied for our palates, and though there must be plenty of exceptions, we felt that the safe bet for today was on a Rhone red.   

Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed with our choice, the Chateau Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Rouges 2006, which hails from the Costières de Nîmes AOC of the Rhone Valley (the link is to Wikipedia).  The Chateau Mourgues du Gres – a blend predominantly of Syrah with Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Carignan – shares one important quality with the last French Syrah that we reviewed: meatiness.  We loved that aspect of the Domaine de la Bastide, and we felt no differently about the Chateau Mourgues du Gres. 

Curiously, the meat that we found was steak, and we also picked up dark cherry and spice in the nose and mouth.  The wine’s texture was only slightly tannic and had relatively soft acidity.

Granted, this was notin the league of the Israeli Syrah that originally had us craving another Syrah.  Pay more money, and ye shall surely find better.  But for the price, it’s great knowing that a wine like the Chateau Mourgues du Gres, with its unique character, exists.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

Jun

12

When we opened our bottle of Le Roc Cuvée Don Quichotte 2002 – a 50-50 mix of Syrah and Négrette – the other night, it took us about a split second to recognize the scent of one of our favorite foods: black olive.  So that had my interest piqued from the get-go.

What delighted us even more, though, was when the aromas emanating from our glasses changed over the course of about 15 minutes… to a bouquet of flowers! 

Honestly, we’ve come across floral scents in white wines fairly often, but a full-on floral bouquet in a red has been totally out of the norm in our experiences.   

There were a lot of dark (and we’re talking Voldemoort dark) berry flavors going on in this one, but they complemented the wine’s flowery qualities excellently.  We also loved the mouthfeel: a little bit tannic and big on fruit, but not that heavy on alcohol — it struck a perfect balance to our tastes.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Plumpjack Wines in Noe Valley.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com. 

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