I mentioned the “brothers of the Languedoc” in the article on Olivier Pithon area : Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan, an assembly that is not uncommon to find in our bottles in Languedoc-Roussillon, sometimes embellished a touch of Cinsault to top it off.
It is time to look this month with Syrah, this beautiful vine on which one could write again and again as it is complex, and fascinating present on almost all continents of the globe.
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Its name sounds almost like a cheer–”When Johnny comes marching home again, Syrah, Syrah”– and fans of this high-quality red wine grape have something to cheer about as the varietal is poised to overtake Merlot as one of the most popular red table wines.
The Syrah grape is a noble grape, and the premier wine grape of the Rhone Valley (in Southern France). It is also grown in Australia, where it is known as shiraz and often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon; South Africa and California. The grape is often confused with the sound-alike Petit Sirah, which is another varietal altogether.
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Your ordinary winery does not have its own cattle brand, nor a herd of Black Angus roaming the hillsides above the vineyards, but then, Kirkland Ranch Winery is not your ordinary winery. When the Kirkland brothers, Larry and Lonnie, purchased the 2000-acre spread that was part of General Mariano Vallejo’s original Rancho Soscol land grant in 1978 the primary crop on their Rocking LK Ranch was cattle. Grapes joined the mix in 1985 at the suggestion of Larry’s daughter, Chris, and additional vines were planted until, today, there are 138 acres of vineyard containing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo.
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When a friend sends you a bottle of his new wine, with a note, “Let me know what you think of it,” you get a little shiver of apprehension. Of course, when the friend is Bill Anderson, winemaker for Chateau Julien in the Carmel Valley and you have been drinking Bill’s wines for years and enjoying every one, you know the new wine, the first ever release of Syrah from Chateau Julien, will be a beauty. It was accepted so well by the consuming public that the wine was sold out in 30 days. The 1999 vintage is disappearing nearly as quickly.
Recently memories of the game of Jan Ken Pon that we played when I was in grammar school were brought to the surface by, of all things, the opening of a grand, new winery on Westside Road. It is called Roshambo, which is another name for our old paper, rock and scissors game. Roshambo Winery, at 3000 Westside Road, Healdsburg, is a family affair, owned and operated by Naomi Brilliant, granddaughter of the late Frank Johnson whose Dry Creek Valley vineyards provide the excellent fruit for most of the Roshambo wines.
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E. Guigal
1998 Gigondas
This is the wine to drink first as a warm up to the Jaboulet. With 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre this blend is a bit lighter in body than the Northern Rhones but just as fun to power down. The crimson red color has a consistent nice lightness to it and is very clean and clear of any flaws. Aromas that first come on the scene are burnt cherries and then followed up by some spicy clove.
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I start to get a little antsy, and a bit sweaty and then naughty and nasty thoughts of Syrah fill my head.
Paul Jaboulet Aine
1998 “Domaine de Thalabert”
Crozes Hermitage
1998 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Domaine de Thalabert” Crozes-Hermitage
Oh sweet baby, this is the goods. This wine is a full garnet/deep red in color that just lightens up slightly on the edges with distinct and potent aromas of spice and gamey black pepper. A whiff of this should always put a smile on your face. The aromas seem to stick with the spicy first impression but do start to include a bit of ripe berry as you get to your 2nd minute with your nose in the glass.
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It is a happenin’ wine varietal now and it has been for the last five years in the retail sector (it has won over many California Cabernet, Zin, and Merlot drinkers) and on fine wine lists nation wide. Shiraz is the most widely planted red grape in Australia and the selection offered to the world market has been growing over the last few years. Shiraz is a great wine grape. Get to know it if you enjoy red wine, and get used to talking about Australia when you are talking wine with your wine-appreciating friends. If you have any; wine drinking friends that is.
Shiraz is a nice blackberryish, plummy, full-to-medium bodied, peppery, dark purple mouth filling, intensely interesting red wine. It is age-worthy in many cases but mostly ready to drink on arrival. Shiraz gets a lot of coverage now and I think it will keep emerging as one of the main players fighting for shelf space in the next ten years.
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I start to get a little antsy, and a bit sweaty and then naughty and nasty thoughts of Syrah fill my head.
It usually happens around 10 o’clock at night, when I’m starting to relax after a long day. I know something is going to fill my glass in a minute, but what is it going to be? I start to get a little antsy, and a bit sweaty and then naughty and nasty thoughts of Syrah fill my head. Yep, I need to pop a cork on something and I think it should go by the name of Crozes-Hermitage. Oh, that feels better, and now another, and now a little more. When I’m feelin’ that Rhoney, it takes about three bottles to get me over it. Of course it could happen to me again tomorrow night, but I’ll be ready.
I like to start with my Gigondas from the Southern Rhone, and then work my way up to the Northern Rhone with its full-blown Syrah’s. Tonight I choose Crozes-Hermitage from the North. I started with a 1998 E. Guigal Gigondas, then moved onto a smooth 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Les Jalets” Crozes-Hermitage, then got my corkscrew into a bottle of 1998 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Domaine de Thalabert” Crozes-Hermitage.
This was a pretty good selection and not that expensive. Here is some info on two out of the three.
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