Open Mike Syrah.

Bill in Detroit seems a tad off form today...LOL. Sport team problems down there Bill???

Bob,
Not in Detroit...Indianapolis and our NFL and NBA teams are undefeated. Plus the Pacers give a whole new meaning to the basketball term "gunner".

WTN: `04 Syrah Monterey- Shayle Ridge.

Yeah, I know not much of a track record there in recent years but news is that things are looking up so thought I would make a spur of the moment decision here for this Open Mike. $17 Cdn is fair QPR in my books if the wine shows up!!

Color. Medium magenta/purple, average depth in centre here. Has some big clinging legs.

Nose. Plummy, floral, berry fruits in depth with hint of licorice. I used a big bowl glass, not your fancy Riedel!! Oh, 13.5% alc.

Palate. Initial mouthfeel entry thoughts are low tannin, good concentration, raspberry, blueberry, plum and some licorice. Long finish, dryish with some dustyness.
Still some oak spice here and hint of pepper. Good average Syrah here, drink now, there`s no need to cellar. Could not find any pomegranite (my fav rave),and easy to like w. flavorful structure. After an hour, here`s some chocolate and will see what developes overnight.
If one is new to Syrah, give this one a try and enjoy.

Our Thursday night after work group helped me polish off a few orphans from my cellar, including a couple of interesting syrahs.
Rosemount Shiraz McClarendale Langhorn Cr 1998. Soft and round, very sweet on the nose, with blackberry and oak and precious little else. Tannins fully resolved, and less jammy than many imported Aussie Shiraz's, but lacking in the complexity one would hope for.
Domaine le Garrigue Cotes du Rhone cuvee Romaine 2000. My notes indicate this is primarily syrah, but I do not recall the source of that information. A bit medicinal at first, but after a few minutes, a magnificent dense cotes du rhone - complex with dark fruits, saddle leather, raw meat and blood, a healthy dose of barnyard, long aftertaste, and the empty glass smelled soooooo great to this former farm boy. Smooth and elegant with great depth and character. In perfect condition now.

Sounds like a terrific Cote du Rhone!! Keep `em coming.

Rosemount Shiraz McClaren Vale Langhorne Cr 1998. Soft and round, very sweet on the nose, with blackberry and oak and precious little else. Tannins fully resolved, and less jammy than many imported Aussie Shiraz's, but lacking in the complexity one would hope for.

Interesting - not a label I'm familiar with - but perhaps it's the one that's called show reserve in Oz? Jammy (and just plain sweet & confected) is definitely something I find in many Rosemount wines. I hear there's talk of a relaunch and an attempt to bring Rosemount wines back up towards the standard they used to have ~ a decade ago.

Ian, sometimes over here we have other labels etc!

Yes, that is the show reserve.
It would be nice to see Rosemount produce a wine of interest.
I remember some of the older GSMs and Traditionals, or was it just Tradition, that I thought were pretty fair in the mid 90's. But '98 ended it for me. Could be my tastes changed. Haven't purchased one since.

[David M. Bueker]

But I don't see the point in objecting to one guy's Open Mike just because you'd rather grab the mike and do it a different way. Don't complain about it, just DO it.

Pardon me for being on airplanes all day. Not meaning for anyone to take it personally, but Jenise expressed my thoughts very well.

I will be posting a specific Open Mike this weekend, though to take care of the "common bottle" problem I think I will open it up to any vintage of the specific wine. I have no problems with broad topics, but really think that an entire variety (unless it's something obscure like "Cinsault") is just too much. It's not unlike when we did French Whites on the old WT101. It was too broad for any sort of focus.

The only other thing I sort of object to (and I'm only mentioning it here because my right to criticize the topic has been called into question) is the posting of old notes in the topic. Let's open some new wines!

Off soap box...look for OM thread tomorrow.

[Robin Garr]

my right to criticize the topic has been called into question

Just for the record, as the bartender of this virtual saloon, I'm ruling that there's no gag order on criticizing topics.

Let's open some new wines!

I sure hope I can find '99 Cosme Gigondas, but I'm not holding my breath ...

[James Roscoe]

Ahhh! We are getting too sensitive on this forum!

"Can't we all just get along?" - Rodney King

Someone pass me the bottle.

2004 Qupé Santa Ynez Valley Syrah Purisma Mountain Vineyard, $35, 14.2% alc.: Only four barrels of this deep, dark garnet Syrah were made with fruit sourced from the vineyard owned by the Beckman family; it exudes lovely aromatics of violets and rose petal over black plums and berries, following through on the palate with a note of leather and a dusting of cocoa powder. This is a wine of grace and elegance, being feminine on the nose, and then turning more masculine on the palate, with deceptive structure that belies the harmony it already shows. Lindquist says that this is a wine for the cellar, and he’s right, but I’d have a hard time keeping my hands off it now. Like all of the reds tasted on this occasion, it matched up quite well with Zinc’s fine steak tartare, and later that night provided an interesting twist to the old Red Wings and Red Rhônes theme.

2002 Qupé Santa Maria Valley Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate, $45, 13.5% alc.: As previously noted regarding the 2001 version, this dark garnet 100% Syrah is sourced from the original Z Block of Bien Nacido, and on day five of fermentation, some of the juice is drawn off (saignée) into two new Francois Fréres barrels and barrel fermented, then blended back into the final assemblage. It shows earth and leather over lovely black plums and berries in both flavor and aroma, accented with a hint of licorice; it has excellent depth and structure, which bodes well for years of development, but give it some air, and you can love it now too. Rick observes that this is the closest to the Rhône model that Qupé makes, adding that it was inspired by Guigal’s La-La Côte Rôties. Aged 20 months in François Frères French oak barrels, about 60% new; unfined and unfiltered.

-From 8 from Qupé

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

Thanks Geo, there are two wines many of us have just only heard/read about!! See the value of a (broad) Open Mike like this? I am learning everytime I switch on the confuser here at Doris Ranch. Love all these tasting notes and looking forward to some Rhone-with-Jenise!!!

[David M. Bueker]

I sure hope I can find '99 Cosme Gigondas, but I'm not holding my breath ...

Which is why the topic is posted as '99 Gigondas. Heck, I have the '99 St. Cosme in my cellar and I'm not sure I will be able to find it.

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm a big fan of Cycles Gladiator Syrah from California, about $10. And at a tasting last night we tried a yummy Shiraz from Barossa Valley aptly named Layer Cake-$14.

Conversely, I had a yucky Shiraz-Banrock Station...bitter, tart, unbalanced. But what do you expect for $3.76 at Wal-mart. (However, the BS Merlot was very drinkable at that price).

But I don't see the point in objecting to one guy's Open Mike just because you'd rather grab the mike and do it a different way. Don't complain about it, just DO it.

Pardon me for being on airplanes all day. Not meaning for anyone to take it personally, but Jenise expressed my thoughts very well.

I will be posting a specific Open Mike this weekend, though to take care of the "common bottle" problem I think I will open it up to any vintage of the specific wine. I have no problems with broad topics, but really think that an entire variety (unless it's something obscure like "Cinsault") is just too much. It's not unlike when we did French Whites on the old WT101. It was too broad for any sort of focus.

The only other thing I sort of object to (and I'm only mentioning it here because my right to criticize the topic has been called into question) is the posting of old notes in the topic. Let's open some new wines!

Off soap box...look for OM thread tomorrow.

David
I'm glad you're posting an open mike.

Bob has put a lot of effort into generating interest for the concept and that involves a certain amount of experimentation to gauge interest. Sometimes that means testing out the extremes to see what the response is.

I must admit it did feel like you were standing on the sidelines and criticising, which while your point is valid, did seem disrespectful of the effort Bob has put in. By taking an active part in proceedings, it gives your voice more weight. It also recognises Bob's efforts in getting this off the ground

You have my sympathies about being stuck on planes (and presumably not just planes, but long waits and queues in airports, plus travel to/from). I always look forward to getting back into breathing fresh air again!

regards

Ian

[Robin Garr]

Bob has put a lot of effort into generating interest for the concept and that involves a certain amount of experimentation to gauge interest. Sometimes that means testing out the extremes to see what the response is.

Ian, first, a round of applause to Bob, or "Doris" in his alternate persona , who's done a great job of building enthusiasm for this and other projects as well - we didn't give him the original Three Musketeers badge for nothin'!

That being said, I think it's also very important to re-emphasize that Open Mike, in its very nature, has cheerleaders but not leaders. The entire point of the thing is that the Mike belongs to everyone. Bob has made such great use of it - and deserves all of our gratitude for doing that - that it might be easy for us to sit back and say, "Let Bob do it!"

But I know Bob will understand that I'm taking nothing away from his effort when I remind everyone that the Open Mike is up there for everyone to use, and the more, the merrier.

Robin
Yes absolutely - very much the more the merrier!
regards
Ian

Personally, I like a broad Open Mike. Living in an apartment limits the depth of my cellar, so this one was easy. Syrah is my favourite varietal and I have 'em from Chile, California, New Zealand, Australia, along with several CndPs.

For this Open Mike, I went with a <b>2001 Truchard Syrah</b>.

This opened very fruit forward on the nose and palate, with blackberries and pepper. But over a couple of hours the fruit faded into the background and the nose became smokey and earthy. It developed flavours of coffee and black currants, with leathery tannins.

I've also had the Truchard's '02 Syrah, and much prefer this one. It evolves into something more with time in the decanter.

Stark-Condé is a fine South African producer headed up by owner-winemaker José Condé, and deserving of greater recognition; they have two labels, with the Condé line being made up of single vineyard bottlings sourced from their best vineyard blocks, while the lower priced Stark line (named after a now-deceased family matriarch) are blended from more than one vineyard. The wines at both levels are made in the same manner, with hand-sorting, open-top fermentations, hand punchdowns and manual basket pressing.

2004 Stark Stellenbosch Syrah, $26, 14 % alc.: Dark garnet in color, fading to pink at the rim, with expressive smoke, toast, coffee and tar over dark plums and berries on the nose; the rich flavors echo loudly on a well structured, full bodied frame. With an hour’s worth of air, the somewhat burry tannins smooth out nicely, making for a fine glass of Syrah that pairs well now with a plate of lamb tagine. It’ll show even better with at least a few more years in the bottle, and quite probably well beyond that. A blend from two different vineyards from Condé-Stark’s Oude Nektar farm in Jonkershoek Valley, with full malolactic fermentation and 22 months in French oak, mostly 2nd year, with about 15% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

2004 Condé Stellenbosch Syrah, $35, 14 % alc.: This almost looks like purple-garnet ink in the glass; although a little stingy, it offers a well integrated kiss of sweet oak that complements the deep, dark plum and berry on the nose, all of which echoes and expands dramatically on the palate. Not exactly sweet, or even ripe, but certainly rich, full flavored and harmonious, with an additional shading of soft leather that becomes accentuated with air and sets the tone for the personality of the wine. Well structured (but not so much so that you can’t enjoy it now with some air and more of that tasty lamb tagine), with good length, this is well worth the tariff, and it will continue to develop over the next five years and beyond. From Condé’s highest elevation Syrah vineyard located at the Oude Nektar farm in Jonkershoek Valley, with full malolactic fermentation and 22 months in French oak, mostly 2nd year, with about 15% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Imported by Vineyard Brands, Inc., Birmingham, AL.

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

There you go again, two terrific wines but might be tough to track down. Will remember the name, thanks Geo!

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm a big fan of Cycles Gladiator Syrah from California, about $10. And at a tasting last night we tried a yummy Shiraz from Barossa Valley aptly named Layer Cake-$14.

Thanks Ronica, that's more my speed for everyday. Good stuff. Try the Pepperwood Grove Syrah at something under ten. We've been humming through a box of it with lamburgers and the like.

[Jenise]

Geo, have you had the Conde cabs, too? I bought some for our cellar on the reccomendation of an importer friend. Haven't tasted it yet, but if the qualities you describe in the syrah transfer over to the cabernet ("Not exactly sweet, or even ripe, but certainly rich, full flavored and harmonious"), I'll be a very happy woman.

One late one (and a Shiraz at that)

1999 Bests FHT Shiraz
(some background - normally they produce a Bin 0 Shiraz and more recently a young vines Bin 1 Shiraz and then also in great years a Thompson Family Shiraz. In 1999 frosts devastated the crop, so the remaining grapes went into a one-off bottling called FHT).
We'd previously only opened one bottle from the dozen and it was very tight and restrained. Well this was vastly different.

Colour is an opaque purple with only fractional lightening at the edge. Very rich heady nose of spice blackberry and a little mint/menthol along with a touch of mocha coffee. The palate follows through with rich fruit in a similar vein to the nose, albeit with a nice savoury edge coming through on the finish. Tannins are softening and acidity nicely balanced and offering some refreshment whilst making the fruit seem more juicy.

Radically different to the 1st bottle and now I'm suspecting that might have been subject to a light taint. Either that or just 'good ole' plain bottle variation.

[oh and sediment... great thick lumps of it!]

Bob, as I mentioned, I'm on a three or four wine sabbatical, but in honor of your Open Mike wanted to participate. Syrah is one of my favorite wines -- we have at least 300 Syrah/Shiraz examples in the cellars. But -- once down there, all resolve will evaporate and I'll be back to the same old/ same old drinking a half bottle a day and posting notes.

What to do?

Well, we went to Philadelphia for a beautiful craft show yesterday -- an interesting feature was the presence of 40 artists from Finland. I took a little break and stopped by a restaurant for a coffee and they had on offer a Shiraz that I thought would be safe to try -- little chance, thought I that I would have more than a sip.

A glass later, it was all I could do to share it with some other folks and walk away. Wasn't that complex but it sure tasted good.

NV Yellow Tail Shiraz South Australia. $7.50 a bottle. Ruby red color, medium hue, intense aroma of Cherry Vanilla Coke -- cherries, oak, caramels; good fruit taste, cherry and raspberry and other gunky stuff from one of those cherry pies my mom made so many years ago with sweet Door County cherries; medium mouth feel, short finish -- but oh my goodness -- how sweet it was. Remember, it's just past Halloween, and the kids left at least 50 pieces of candy which I haven't been able to resist.

The truth is I am almost embarrassed to admit it in this lofty company -- I enjoyed this glass of wine -- simple, straight forward, cheap, fun. 3*.

Bob, get behind me you tempter you.

Regards, Bob