Tried this oddity last night:
1. AlainGraillot Syrocco AoG: Zenata Syrah Morocco (13.5%; Eurovin/VanNuys/CA) Dom.des Oulab Thaleb 2020: Very dark color; strong earthy/bit loamy Syrah/blackberry/spicy slight Rhonish slight grapey/coarse somewhat interesting nose; somewhat tart/tangy/metallic fairly blackberry/Syrah/spicy/bit peppery slight Rhonish/roasted/smokey slight coarse/loamy bit hard/tannic bit complex flavor w/ modest coarse/rugged tannins; long rough/coarse finish w/ some hard tannins; shows a lot of Rhone character but lacks the Syrah high-toned fruit of Rhone Syrah; speaks of Rhone Syrah w/ something just a bit out of whack; still pretty good for a Morocco red & needs 2-5 yrs age. $27.00 (SFW&S)
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More gridderhike from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Now here's a real story. A Syrah from Morocco!! While on vacation in Morocco, Graillot was biking out near the coast where the weather is a bit more moderated by the sea. He came upon this abandoned vnyd & wnry, all overgrown. He immediately recognized the vines as old-vine Syrah. He ventured up to the door of the adjacent farmhouse, knocked on the door, and purchased the property on the spot. The abandoned vines were planted back in the '20's, but still healthy. So this is the product of his rash move.
The wine is much more structured than one would expect from Morocco. I was expecting a soft/soupy red like most of the Morocco reds I've tried. But this has lots of structure and needs more age.
Tom
