WTN: Dorks gather for Syrah-from-anywhere

[Jenise]

A blind outdoor tasting. A few champagnes were polished off initially, then:

2006 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers Crozes-Hermitage Syrah
I started off with this. Did not decant in advance, and I'm glad. Instantly welcoming with notes of black cherry, raspberry, green olive, cactus, and iron. Would be mistaken for a St. Joseph. On the reveal it caused Warren to comment, "Didn't think I liked Chapoutier. Just changed my mind." Excellent.

2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Syrah
So this kicked off the old world or new world discussion. I finally interrupted--can I brag?--with "I want to go on record with Old World, Cornas, between 10 and 12 years of age." BINGO. Unfortunately my notes after that are skimpy as I basked in the glow of approval, I merely wrote "old world, sweet cherry, floral, violets". Drinking superbly right now, but it has time.

2011 Rasa Vineyards Syrah Principia Reserve Walla Walla Valley
Bart's. Shows some barrel notes and it's on the sweet side, so guesses immediately went to WA state. Complex black fruit and smoked meats with notes of lime rind and other unusual characteristics. Polished mouthfeel. Obviously expert winemaking here, not surprised by the reveal.

2014 Cowhorn Syrah 8 Applegate Valley, Oregon
Mild barnyard notes, young red licorice fruit, Northwest but not Rocks, restrained, malty finish and dry. We all liked this quite a bit and were surprised we'd never heard of the winery. The bringer ordered it thru a local retailer just for this tasting. When I went to post my notes on CT, I realized I've had this before. Same guy brought it two years ago, at which time I remarked on low acidity and an initial flatness. Not the case with this bottle.

2001 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Mine. Decanted for about three hours in advance in which the following elements were unphased by oxygen: cloying jammy fruit, Vitamin B6 and tire shop aromas. Like Warren and his Jaboulet, I could cry over the years this loser took up space in my cellar waiting for its perfect moment. (To be fair, this is the first bad Ogier I've ever had.)

1991 Columbia Winery Syrah David Lake Signature Series Red Willow Vineyard Yakima Valley
Daniel's bottle, a birth-year wine. Woefully necrotic at first, but then things start happening. Black raspberry fruit appears along with kalamata olives, fireplace ash, the dill of American oak and the leather of an old armchair. It's GOOD! Wish we had bigger pours and time to spend with this, another hour or two might have been magical.

1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle Syrah
It's dead, Jim.

2007 Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Unquestionably Northern Rhone, dry raspberry fruit with a touch of menthol, spice and black tea, and a clipped finish. Time's up?

2018 K Vintners Syrah Royal City Washington
Hedonistic sweet dark fruit with all the flavors of a Reuben sandwich on rye complete with sauerkraut and side pickle. Not as gobby as I would have been concerned about had I known it was a Charles Smith wine, but all the same nothing here holds back. A real E-ticket of a ride for the palate.

2011 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux Syrah
Exquisite. Everything you hope for from the Cote Rotie at a great moment in its life with a bright future ahead. Integrated, elegant, this has it all and I was too fascinated to write down much more. My WOTN. Thanks, Chaz!

2010 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Contender Walla Walla Valley
Mine. Decanted for three hours, served blind. Pretty much all secondary now with raspberry, black pepper and garrique swimming around in the Rocks funk. Texturally, fairly resolved tannins, good acidity--at peak and drinking superbly right now. Group argued back and forth about new vs. old world, and a vote showed more thought it Old than New. For the 11th wine out to a tough crowd in a line-up that veered Old World, that's a feat.

2009 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
Warren's. Since when does California syrah drink like a cabernet sauvignon with dense blackberry fruit layered with mint, dark chocolate and redwood sawdust? Since this one. Never in a million years would have guessed it. Delicious nonetheless, but syrah? Wow, how different.

2004 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche / La Péroline Syrah
Decanted all day. Spice, mild syrah funk, a tad shy on fruit, more savory than not, very polished.

I was also disappointed with '01 Ogier CR (but loved the 01 Ogier La Rosine, $13!)
Not a great period for Jaboulet, but shocking a 98 Hermitage would be dead.

[David M. Bueker]

'96 - probably the worst year of that horrid period for Jaboulet.

On the 2009 Rhys - if I had to pick the least representative vintage for Rhys it would be 2009. The Pinots and Syrahs are thick and to my taste flat. Second would be 2011, but there were issues with that vintage for more than just Rhys. If I had to rely on 2007-2010 to assess Rhys I would call them a marginally successful operation. The real payoff has been 2012 forward. Given their ambitions I suppose it makes sense that it took them time to steady themselves.

[Jenise]

I was also disappointed with '01 Ogier CR (but loved the 01 Ogier La Rosine, $13!)

I had two bottles, purchased same time/source. Have no record of what the first was like as it predates my posting to CT, but it dawned on me that I probably took it to one of Bill's lunches and indeed here's the note he posted here in 2015:

2001 Ogier Cote Rotie – this stepped it up a notch on the Northern Rhone scale – more olives and pepper in the nose, and a bit of roasted meat, although no sign of floral anything. Smooth entry, still showing lots of tannin and good acidity. Wish I had some in my cellar!

They were not identical twins, apparently!

The 96 La Chapelle isn't dead even if that bottle was. It is getting long in the tooth, but was still fine last time I tasted it.. Let's open a bottle sometime (I still have a bunch) and see what we may see.

[Jenise]

The 96 La Chapelle isn't dead even if that bottle was. It is getting long in the tooth, but was still fine last time I tasted it.. Let's open a bottle sometime (I still have a bunch) and see what we may see.

Let's do! Bummer tasting when both a Jaboulet and an Ogier are the dogs, though, isn't it?

I was also disappointed with '01 Ogier CR (but loved the 01 Ogier La Rosine, $13!)

I had two bottles, purchased same time/source. Have no record of what the first was like as it predates my posting to CT, but it dawned on me that I probably took it to one of Bill's lunches and indeed here's the note he posted here in 2015:

2001 Ogier Cote Rotie – this stepped it up a notch on the Northern Rhone scale – more olives and pepper in the nose, and a bit of roasted meat, although no sign of floral anything. Smooth entry, still showing lots of tannin and good acidity. Wish I had some in my cellar!

They were not identical twins, apparently!

Bottle variation, taster variation, and aging are all possiblilities.
I actually gave the 2001 a B in 2019, but that's disappointing compared to expectations (it was the ;01 Ogier Embruns CR that I gave a C+ )

[Jenise]

True all that. But I'll go with bottle variation on this one. It was just so not close to where it should be tracking based on the earlier bottle.

[David M. Bueker]

The joys of natural cork roulette.