My leftover wines last night didn't measure up to my Korean-style/BlackPepper Steak, so I cast about for something decent to drink and spotted my ne Drew arrivials. Alas, the steak nowhere measured up to:
1. Drew Syrah ValentiVnyd/MendocinoRidge (12.8%; www.DrewWines.com) 2011: Med.dark color; beautiful cracked black pepper/cold-climate some roasted/Rhonish/espresso/black olive intense blackberry/blueberry/Syrah smokey/pungent/roasted complex nose; rather tart intense cracked black pepper/cold-climate strong roasted/Rhonish/espresso/black olive strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/spicy complex beautiful flavor w/ modest/round tannins; very long/lingering black pepper/cold-climate strong Rhonish/roasted/espresso/smokey strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/bit floral finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two & sholud go out 10 yrs or more; a beautiful classic cold-climate/peppery Syrah; amazing wine at a great price. $34.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I have, of course, followed Jason & Molly Drew from the very start, when they were making wines out of a little spot in Buellton. I really liked his Syrahs...big/black/extracted/classic SBCnty Syrahs. They then returned to their roots up in MendocinoCnty and set up shop in Elk, out near the PacificCoast. He lighten up his style and became a fovorite fair-haired boy for the IPoB crowd because of his Pinots.
He takes his Syrah from Perli & Valenti vnyds up on MendocinoRidge. I've found them to be quite attractive but nothing that particularly spoke of cold-climate Syrah...they were sorta good Syrah made by a Pinot producer.
I expected this Syrah to be much the same. It was not. It had a very strong cold-climate character, probably because of the 2011 vintage. At 12.8%, I expected a lean/wiry Syrah along the lines of Arnot-Roberts. It was not. It was quite intense & extracted, yet wonderfully balanced...sorta like a Mendo Syrah made by a SBCnty Syrah producer. The strong Rhonish character suggest a lot of whole-cluster fermentation in this wine.
It reminded me some of Boheme QueSyrah Syrahs, some of EhrenJordan's Estate Syrah, some of Stolo/TreViti Syrah. Probably the best Syrah I've yet had from Jason&Molly, probably the best Mendo Syrah since some of those from GeorgeBursick GibsonRanch Syrahs, probably one of the best Syrahs I've had this year. Amazing juice.
Tom