12/22/2008 - matthewJohns wrote: NR

This was my only bottle of the Draconis Syrah in a Modern Style. My wife and I had another couple over and decided to due a blind tasting against another Syrah, one of our favorites, the 2004 St. Clement Mt. Veeder Syrah (Progeny). Since we really loved the Draconis Zin so much, we wanted to really track our experience with another one of the Draconis wines.

We tasted both wines side by side after letting them breathe in the glass for 10 minutes. After the direct tasting we then paired both wines with some home made Tomato Bisque soup (with fresh basil), as recommended the owner. Truly, there was little contest. The Draconis Syrah was such a better wine that it was almost a zero contest for the St. Clement. here are our notes on the Draconis Syrah: Color; A wonderful Magenta with hints of deep red; Nose; Cherry, plum, and earth; the body was easy at first but lingered on the palette with some mild to moderate astringency. Just like the Zins, the Syrah was just incredibly smooth with a velvet-like texture. It's hard to describe in words what the wine was like, but it really was a full two notches above the St. Clement. Add the price point in and I can't emphasize the value that it has. I'll repeat what other's have said in this forum; both my wife and the other couple were blown away with this wine. Crazy stuff. I would also note the alc levels of both wines: the 04 St. Clement was above 14% and the Draconis was only 12.5%.

The wine matched perfectly with the Tomato bisque soup. A great suggestion and a great combination. The owner nailed it. When I bought the wine via the website email, the producer also asked me not to add a point rating -- I now understand why so I won't put a score. But, I can say that this wine is easily in the Outstanding - classic range ... easily.

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