Just a quick break from the Australia recap to celebrate (in REAL time) International Syrah Day. Syrah is quite possibly my absolute favorite vinifera grape. I love the complexity that it has inherently and it can remain somewhat elegant like Pinot Noir if you don't extract the hell out of it. I like to think that my favorite Syrahs are cooler climate US examples, but some of the Aussies we tried give them a run for their money. And, of course, the great Northern Rhones with some age on them are quite often profound.
What am I drinking today? I sort of haphazardly popped the cork on a Tardieu-Laurent "Coteaux Cuvee" Cornas 2001. I picked one of these up in a wine store a couple of years ago and figured this was the perfect moment to give her a shot. Also, it happens to be the oldest of my Northern Rhones here at the house. I had the pleasure of tasting the full line-up of the 2006's from this producer last year. The wines were quite good.
This 2001 is quite savory on the nose: fresh green herbs, charred wood, some Bordeuax-like horse blanket, smoke, blueberry compote, black cherry. On the palate, the wine is still holding some firm structure and has a surprising acidity that comes across as tart blackberry. The earth tones are layered with the fruit, impeccably balanced and dying for some food. The finish on this bad boy is pretty impressive as well, leaning into some olive notes. I'm actually quite surprised at how well this wine is aging and how good it is, particularly for the low price of $30. I wish I had bought more than just one bottle...
I hope you are enjoying a delicious bottle of Syrah today as well!
No comments:
Post a Comment