Single-blind Syrah from Anywhere

Single blind. I was par for the course, guessing 3 out of 5 wines correctly, reversing the 2 Northern Rhones.

• 2010 Two Hands Shiraz Bella's Garden 93 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Single blind served covid style, so a 1/4 bottle in a glass jar that had been poured and sealed an hour previous. A whiff of eucalyptus on the nose spotted it as the Australian wine. It also has that suave elegant profile that some of the better Two Hands wines have had. Eucalyptus, dark chocolate, berries, very layered. I did not find this jammy at all. It is quite rich and with a liveliness, such that it doesn't come across as heavy.

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• 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Single blind served covid style, so a 1/4 bottle in a glass jar that had been poured and sealed an hour previous. I don't usually pay attention to color, but this wine had significant briciking along with a lot of sediment. There were desirable qualities to it along with some issues. Meaty with roasted vegetables. Also some rubber. The wine seems slightly tired, with funk and locker-room type odors being the most noticeable components.

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• 2017 Charles Smith Syrah Boom Boom

  USA, Washington

  Single blind served covid style, so a 1/4 bottle in a glass jar that had been poured and sealed an hour previous. We knew this was in the lineup to keep our senses honest, and one whiff from the nose was all I needed to spot this one. The wine is heavy-handed, sweet and dense. I categorize the nose and palate of this wine into a bucket I call "cheap party wine". Jammy and cloying. We had some discussion that a lot of Americans would probably like this wine because it is dense, has a lot of fruit (inelegant though the fruit is) and is sweet. I couldn't stand this wine, and if I scored it, it'd be in the 70's or lower.

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• 1998 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 94 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Single blind served covid style, so a 1/4 bottle in a glass jar that had been poured and sealed an hour previous. This wine was classic old world cool-climate syrah. From the beginning, scorched earth, loam, grilled meats, roasted vegetable, saddle leather, a little funk, It took about an hour for some reddish black fruit to show up, that seemed a mix of plum, raspberry and blackberry. My WOTN.

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• 2009 Lillian Winery Syrah Blue Label 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

  Single blind served covid style, so a 1/4 bottle in a glass jar that had been poured and sealed an hour previous. This wine is dense, with luscious berries, meat, dusty chocolate, roasted meats and tar. This seems a bit hedonistic. Very dense but not jammy.

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