Syrahhhh

Trying to avoid drinking Syrah in Santa Barbara County is like trying to avoid drinking Coca-Cola in Atlanta. It's free, cheap and easy and served just about everywhere.

And while that may be a bit of hyperbole, it's certainly true that Santa Barbara County is a great place to showcase the versatility of Syrah. Cool climates like Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley can bring out the full range of savory notes, while the warmer reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley bring out the blue fruit and black pepper. And while that may be a bit of generalization, it's certainly true that these elements wax and wane in Syrah produced from throughout the county.

I recently revisited a wine I purchased and stored from before I moved here. The 2005 Qupé Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah, Santa Maria Valley is from the Z Block at Bien Nacido. It's a hillside block with poor soils and southwest exposure that produces one of the finest Syrah's from Qupé each vintage. The grapes are typically destemmed and the wine is typically aged for about 20 months in roughly 50-60% new French Oak barrels. 

This was one of those wines that demanded whole-bottle consumption. It glided through a dinner pairing with barbecued pork chops and then proved to be a very nice weekend evening companion. Here are my notes- 

Three hour decant. Full dark garnet color with lightening ruby edges. Complex aromas- marinating steak, white pepper, black olive, vanilla, blueberry and lavender. Rich, fine and structured on the palate. Bright but still a little inward with its layered flavors of ripe dark fruit and broad savory notes. Firm tannins with a full juicy peppery finish. An exceptional bottle of Syrah just hitting its stride. Could easily be held for a few more years (rating- I like++!) $36

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An honorable mention also goes out to a Syrah from the far reaches of the great Pacific Northwest. Red Mountain in the Columbia Valley to be exact. This is where Hedges Family Estate cranks out excellent wines with excellent value year after year. The CMS wines are outstanding Columbia Valley blends at very accessible prices. Two of their bottlings- The Estate Red Mountain and the Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses are Red Mountain estate bottled wines typically showing distinguished character and good value. I recently opened a bottle of the 2009 Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses, Red Mountain that I purchased at the winery. Below are the notes -- 

Aerated with Vinturi. Bright opaque purple color. Loads of cassis, currant and violet aromas with just hints of meaty white pepper. Silky with juicy bold fruit on the palate with a light savory backdrop. Fine tannins and full fruit finish. The savory depth should develop with a little bottle age, but this is irresistible now. Awesome price too. (rating- I like!) $25