I was happy to join two friends the other night at a fine restaurant in town to try through an assortment of Syrahs. The Shirvingtons were to be the centerpiece of the evening, but we put some other nice bottles on the table, as well. As it turned out, that was a good thing!
1990 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut. This champagne was disgorged in July of 2005 and is made up of 69% Pinot Noir and 31% Chardonnay, and surprisingly to me, just 67% Grand Cru vineyards. The first glass really is extra brut, leaving a distinct post-sweet tart feeling on the back of the palate. It was quite tight and sharp, so it was put on ice for a few hours… Coming back now after a few hours, we have a much nicer package. On the nose, it gives off aromas of brioche, dark ginger ale, mushroom and a red fruit note. In the mouth, poached pears, apple tart, ginger, cream and burnt caramel flavors are in abundance on a moderately full frame. There is good persistence of flavor, but the finish remains a bit compact and acidic. I would be tempted to sit on these for a while longer if I had any, but I’m not certain.
2003 El Molino Chardonnay Rutherford Napa Valley. Ordered from the restaurant wine list. It is served a bit cold and the nose is tight for a while, showing pear, green grape, wild herb and a decided anise note. A while later, there is a more pronounced lemon tea note, a few more tropical notes and some lavender on the nose. In the mouth, it is ample in body and creamy in texture and shows more richness as it warms up. There is noticeable wood, but almost more in structure than overt flavor. It is pretty taut throughout, so I am guessing no malolactic on this. The oak touch is more obvious on the finish, but overall it’s pretty food friendly, especially with some of the rich dishes served this night.
2004 Radio-Coteau Syrah Cherry Camp Sonoma Coast. Especially when compared to some of the wines that followed, the Radio-Coteau proved to be a fine example of balance and even elegance in California Syrah. It is a bright magenta color, with a nice cherry and white pepper nose that broadens and deepens with time in the glass. In the mouth, cherries appear again, along with soft wood and tobacco elements. It is very juicy and feels elegant for what my expectations have become for a California Syrah, with its very fine, pleasing texture and middle-weight frame. There is excellent balance throughout and the wine stays persistent right through to the finish. It should gain in complexity with some bottle age.
2002 Alban Syrah Reva Edna Valley. There is a lot going on with the nose of this wine, with lots of changes over the course of the night. It begins with dark berries, tar oil and creosote. Later on, there’s a big hit of bacon fat and rare grilled meat to go along with smoke, shoe polish, turned earth and deep blackberry aromas. It is meaty in the mouth, with a fair wallop of fudgy tannins and a good intensity of dark, briary berry flavors. It is full-bodied, well-structured and finely balanced. The tannins turn a bit more grainy on the broad, spicy finish. This was my first experience with Alban, and I can see what the fuss is about. Consensus wine of the night.
2004 Pax Syrah Griffin’s Lair Sonoma Coast. Interestingly, the Pax offers quite a different experience from the first two Syrahs. The nose is immediately open, with a plethora of dark berry fruits, bicycle tire, white pepper and some grilled herbs. In the mouth, it is brighter, tangier and initially more red-fruited than the Alban. With some time, the fruit darkens to black cherry and boysenberry. That boysenberry note continues on to the persistent finish. A very promising wine, it could benefit from some time in the cellar, as it seems at times to jab and counter-punch with its waves of flavor, rather than offering a seamless experience.
2002 Colonial Estate Shiraz Émigré Barossa Valley. When I decanted this at home before leaving for the restaurant, I was a bit worried. The nose was immediate and intense, with a huge hit of eucalyptus and cassis, but also decidedly stewed fruits and something akin to concentrated tomato paste. At the restaurant several hours later, this profile is still there but more in check. In the mouth, it shows a syrupy consistency at first and actually seems to taste like a sweet berry syrup. After a while, though, it finds its footing and integrates a lot better, bringing in more smoky notes and a broader, fresher fruit spectrum. In fact, after a night in the refrigerator, the whole package is a lot more pleasant and more balanced, though there is still plenty of oak and vanilla on the finish that need to integrate. I recommend a very long decant if you plan to open this now.
2001 Shirvington Shiraz McLaren Vale. Between this and the 2002, I definitely preferred the 2001 on this night. The nose is quite enjoyable, with lots of exotic fruits, persimmon, melted licorice, spices, smoke and cedar. On the palate, it is a bit monolithic at first and the tannins, while fine, are in solid abundance. There are flavors of cocoa and sweet raspberries, and a finish that includes a cornucopia of spices and toasty oak overtones. The complaint I have is that there is not enough backbone to support the kind of balance I’m looking for.
2002 Shirvington Shiraz McLaren Vale. The nose of the ’02 is more candied than the ’01, with aromas of blue pixie stick, blackberries, cherry syrup, melted caramel and soft menthol. It is thick and syrupy in the mouth, but never finds much delineation and comes across as notably flat and lacking lift. Also, the alcohol pokes out at times and makes the wine seem awkward. The oak and alcohol on the finish are drying and a bit burning. I brought the wine home and put it in the refrigerator. The next night, my wife (who has never heard of the wine and to whom I said nothing) popped it open and poured herself a big glass. She took two sips, made an awful face after each one, apologized to me, and walked over to the sink and dumped the whole glass down the drain. “What else did you bring home?” she asked.
-Michael