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Syrah! Best Vintages Reds
By
Michael Vaughan • Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
National Post • Saturday, January 13, 2001
Next to
Pinot Noir, Syrah is one of my favourite red grape varieties. I can’t
honestly say that it’s always been the case. When I first took a sip of
a great, albeit youthful, Crozes-Hermitage from the northern Rhône, I had
to get a glass of water to clear the palate. Fortunately, this happened
several decades ago and it didn’t take long to acclimatize to this
grape’s idiosyncratic earthy, smoky, meaty, mouthfilling flavours. I say
fortunately, because at the time these wines were extremely inexpensive,
cheaper than your everyday Bordeaux.
How
different it is today. Syrah seems to come in every style and is grown in
almost every region. In Australia, it’s called Shiraz (sic) and is
virtually tied with Chardonnay as the country’s most prolific wine
grape. While it has had a topsy-turvy ride since its introduction by James
Busby in 1832, today it unquestionably produces Australia’s best reds,
which might be exemplified by everlasting Penfolds Grange.
Unfortunately,
since Robert Parker’s discovery of this gem, the price of great Syrah
(and Shiraz) has leapt forward. Nevertheless, it’s still a bargain when
compared to Burgundy! Last month, for instance, M. Chapoutier 1998
Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie lasted for a mere few hours in Vintages stores.
Why? Just incredible value at under $50!
Fortunately
Saturday’s Vintages release featured an Australian sleeper that’s
definitely worth a detour. Better yet it’s still on the shelf. Warburn
Estate 1998 Shiraz Show Reserve ($23.80)
from New South Wales has creamy, rich, dried black cherry and cassis
flavours that show excellent structure and length. Unlike its Rhone
cousins, which are often inaccessible in their youth, this one shows lots
of finesse and is absolutely ready to drink.
Proving that
good Shiraz need not cost an arm and a leg is Seppelt
1997 Shiraz Terrain Series at
only $13.95 from Southeastern Australia. It’s bright, slightly smoky,
spicy, cherry-ruby grapefruit flavours show lots of crowd-pleasing
versatility.
A
definite best buy Syrah-inspired red
from the Midi that is sure to please is the delicious 1999
Domaine Forca Real at only $13.90. This fine, medium-bodied Côtes
du Roussillon-Villages blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre
and 5% Carignan has gently spicy, ripe, black plum purée flavours with
just a touch of telltale licorice. It is showing perfectly and certainly
has a leg up on Robert
Mondavi 1998 Vichon Mediterranean Syrah, which at $10.95 is
pleasant enough with its slightly smoky, medium-light bodied, dried plum
flavours.
For Rhone
Rangers, don’t miss the splendid Cline
1998 California Syrah, which is also well priced at $17.70. Its
creamy, slightly cedary, ripe black cherry flavours have crowd-pleasing
appeal. It will certainly fill the gap until some 500 cases of outstanding
1998 Ancient
Vines Carneros Syrah surfaces at
Vintages (estimated at $26.85 for June).
Of
the 13 Italian reds, dollar for dollar the best was the well-structured Barone
Ricasoli 1997 Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva,
which is reasonably priced at $22.70. It shows good complexity, fairly
rich, dried black cherry and tomato leaf flavours. This polished
Sangiovese has been aged for 20 months in French oak and show good length.
Disappointments
included both 1990
Lungarotti, the Pighin
1998 Merlot and the price of the 1997
Sassicaia ($119.95) to which Vintages had snuck in an extra $25
surcharge. Moreover, the LCBO didn’t present the latter for evaluation
to either wine writers or their own consultants. It’s unfortunate that
some erroneously believe that scores don’t matter – certainly my
readers wants to know if the wine is worth buying before laying out this
kind of cash.
From
Portugal, all three reds are worth looking at. My best buy would be the
sandalwood and roasted red cherry flavoured Bright
Brothers 1998 Palmela which is excellent value at only $11.75.
Made 100% from the local grape Castelão (better known as Periquita),
which were handpicked from a single vineyard over 50 years old. It’s
produced in the traditional method, fermented in small open lagares for 4
days, pressed and left on less for 3 months eventually to be racked into
oak for 9 months.
Anyone who
enjoys fine, complex, mature wines is advised to venture forth and try J.M. da Fonseca 1995 Garrafeira CO Palmela
at $23.95. There’s nothing sheepish about this one. Its delicious,
woodsy, figgy, tomato purée flavours would be perfect with a rack of
lamb.
Finally,
with all this numbing freezing cold weather, my mind drifts to warmer
climes. I yearn for just a few days, nay even just an afternoon of hot
warm sunshine, clutching a soothing sipper as I listen to the crash of
waves drowning out the throb of Rasta wailing. Yup, it’s Jamaica all
right. And while it may
not be as good as being there, the recently released stunner Wray
& Nephew Appleton Estate 21 year Old Jamaican Rum will wow
your taste buds with its wonderful, rich, spicy, slightly sweet, rummy, crème
brûlée flavours. At $79.75, it’s bound to take a lot of the sting out
of our insolent whether.
Coming up: Next weekend’s icewine madness hits Niagara-on-the-Lake. On Friday night there is the 5th annual Xerox Images of Winter Icewine Evening at Sheraton on the Falls at $105 per person (call 905-688-0212). On Saturday and Sunday there’s an icewine touring program (press here to see the list of event) along with fancy dinners at the Price of Wales ($225) and Hillebrand Estates ($150) on Saturday night.
Copyright
Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
(electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net