Wine Bros: A Study of Syrah

Our first time hosting a wine bros dinner and so the pressure was on but I think overall it turned out quite well and the whole process was very fun to geek out on. We’ve always loved Syrah and Syrah from all over (including Shiraz). One of my initial favorite wines and as we continue to evolve it is one of the most continuous pieces of the wine journey. Lots of great up and coming producers and great areas and then also all of the classics and so we did a journey through at least some of them (there were so many others I wanted to include but struggled to find and of course there are only so many wines that folks can reasonably try in an evening).

Rougie Foie Gras
Crispy Fish & Oysters
Home-made Meatballs

• 2018 Best's Great Western Sparkling Shiraz

  Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Great Western

  For many this was an introduction to the style. We had tried to get the Rockford but alas it seems to never make it to the US which is unfortunate. This wine is quite enjoyable though. Fruity and still fresh with the bubbles. Enjoyable wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

French Onion Soup

• 2009 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah Stonessence

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Back in the day we found this at a store up in Buffalo and as it was a producer that we had gotten into and one of their better wines we bought up the entire stash they had in the store. We’ve probably touched it a few too many times. This wine isn’t actually ready yet, but it was fun to get to check in on it. There’s a softness to it that I really like. A bit more finesse. It’s as a warm year and yet it’s not as in your face as I’d expected (although I do remember liking that about this wine). Will hold the last bottle for at least 10 more years I hope but really fun to get to enjoy. For many this was the preferred wine in the flight and if I was drinking today it would be mine as well. I liked the promise of the hors categorie though. Dark fruit and brambles.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Hors Catégorie Vineyards Syrah Hors Catégorie Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  We’ve been buying this wine since its inaugural vintage (e.g. this one) but haven’t been opening because we like wine with more age. It was great to see how 10 years has changed the wine. I think the last time we had it was a few years ago and at the time it was fairly intense and big. Has softened somewhat. I love the violets and dark fruits with just the slightest background of meat. Acid there and drinking well (2014 was a more restrained vintage as I understand). Really opened up with more time. Glad that we got this open a few hours before we actually served them and if I was more on top of it we probably would have done more than just the double decant for sediment. Looking forward to seeing what this can be with another 20 years.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Double-cut Lamb Chops
Pimento mac & cheese, seasonal vegetable

• 1989 Sean Thackrey Syrah Orion

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  From a magnum. First time with this wine which we really bought because we wanted to show what age in the new world looks like with Syrah and this didn’t disappoint. Wine was drinking well. It’s more muted than the others we’ve had up to this point but to me that’s just the age. A bit more secondary flavors to it. Still has some fruit. A bit quieter in style but still enjoyable and very just classic.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Colgin Syrah IX Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I’ve always really loved the Colgin Syrahs and still think that we probably haven’t seen the best of them. Will be something even better when they get to more age. These are drinking nicely though. We had opened and decanted for sediment and done a quick run through the Lennar machine and I think all of that was necessary for this wine. As it was it opened quite a bit in the glass and I saved some for the very end. Dark berries and just a hit of the iron ore. Even better according to the folks who drank more after the dinner (so more like hour 6 or 7 after bottle originally opened).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Snake River Farms Filet
Potatoes au gratin, haricot verts

• 2014 Toby Bekkers Syrah

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  It is definitely a bit hard to go back and forth in years with wines and to recognize what part of the wine is due to the differences in style and region and what is the age. We visited Bekkers back in 2019 and loved the wines. They are very classic in style. There’s a certain prettiness to them. A bit of pepper. Still some violets. A bit of dark fruits. It’s not as refined as the others yet but it’s also much younger. With time this will be stunning and I’m secretly glad it came only in a six-pack so we have more to revisit in the future.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1993 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  A Grange with one of the highest levels of Cabernet in it (always some but usually low single digits, this is close to 15%). It’s a wine that really needs a lot of time and air. We opened and put it through the Lennar and double-decanted and tried to give it as much as possible before rebottling and then still poured it before the first course was served so that it had some more time. All well worth it. The wine was good and it was good from the first sip. Very classic style of Grange. Lots of eucalyptus and black fruits and maybe a bit of tea and there’s sweetness and spice and so much going on. Officially not really ready and I can’t wait to see what it is in 20 more years given how the 70’s are going but still a treat to get to try.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Chris Ringland Shiraz

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Range

  Chris makes wine that is meant to last almost for forever and this is one of those. 25 years young. We opened and decanted and I think might have even Lennar’ed it twice and let it sit in the decanter for a few hours and then poured it right as we got to the restaurant even though it was being served a bit later and still this is clearly a serious, high-octane wine. Drinking pretty well and very well liked around the table.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

A5 Satsuma Wagyu
Whipped potatoes, sautéed spinach

• 2001 Domaine de la Grange des Pères Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

  France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault

  I wish I’d gotten into this wine when it was a bit more reasonably priced but alas no and while the pricing is quite crazy I can understand it. It’s a great wine. Bright and beautiful and classy and a bit more herbal and spice and still the fruits and I quite enjoyed it.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

  Another wine where it’s a bit of a change because again you are back in the young wine realm but there is something here in the wine which I still get and I hope others could see as well. A purity in style and classic and with age this will just be special and already it can be enjoyable. Very well balanced. Completely classy. I can see why these wines have been jumping up in price, they are special.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This is one of my favorite years for the Rhone although it gets almost no love anywhere else from what I can tell. There’s a balance and power to it always though in the best wines and this is one of my favorites. The Chapoutier that I am really excited to drink. There’s some berries and bell pepper and almost a nice classic restraint to the style. Drinking very well. Opened and double-decanted and it really does seem to work. Nice wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Noël Verset Cornas

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas

  A favorite wine of mine and has been for some time. Definitely a treat to get to drink it. This is all meat and pan drippings and much more gamey in style but in the best possible way. Well balanced. Classic style. Drinking great.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Black Forest Cake

• 1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Not often we get to drink these side by side so fun to do and see the differences across the wines. This has the most viognier and as a result as always it comes across as a bit more elegant and soft compared to the others. Drinking quite nicely and often competes with Turque for me for my favorite (really depends on the mood).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Landonne to me is the LaLa that is really never ready (which is saying something because they all need a lot of time). So it was the one that we most actively worked to get some air into and to give it some time to open up and we were well rewarded. One of the most open Landonne’s I’ve had esp for this age. Drinking nicely. The 100% Syrah and fun to see what that looks like.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  Usually my favorite of the group just because of the garrigue that you can get from it. It’s an enjoyable wine and drinking quite well if still on the young side. Intense with all of the animal.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

My first takeaway is that I do really love this grape and in all of its incantations. So many fantastic wines it was hard to pick a favorite. The Grange and Verset definitely up there and two wines that I’ve loved for years. The LaLas were wonderful but alas too young (I expected as much, but how can you have a dinner focused on Syrah and not bring them and we sadly didn’t own a horizontal from the 80’s). Some surprises for me were the Hors Categorie which I’ve had in the past and it was much too young. Perhaps because we had prepared the bottle ahead of time I thought it showed really well and you can see with some age that it will be something special. I also was pleasantly surprised with the Sean Thackeray which was the only wine we served that we hadn’t had in the past but we wanted something with age. And I am a strong believer that sparkling Shiraz has a bad name but in fact there are many occasions which it’s just wonderful to enjoy.

Many thanks to Cowford who were absolutely spectacular in the service and food and bearing with us as we pulled together our first of these. A place we want to continue to come back to in the future.