Once again I find myself sipping wine at a fairly uncivilized hour. This is becoming a pattern. Today it’s not even noon! But really, I am just sipping a sip or two to refresh my memory on this wine, as I have sipped on several glasses at more normal sipping times during the past week. As I often say to the staff at Cellar, I am “revisiting” this wine this morning. “Revisit” is a term I invented when for there are no official “new” wines to taste, but we are in need of a, as Stump Johnson would say, “Motivator.” That will strike those of you who know Stump as funny- and if you don’t, and you don’t get the joke- well, you just need to get to know Stump. Do yourself a favor. Here, I will post a picture of him so you know what you’re missing:
He is a man of many talents, but most of all, he is a drinker of fine German riesling. It is actually somewhat blasphemous to include a shout-out to him in a post about Syrah, but I don’t think he’ll mind! And if you ever lose your earring at Cellar, he will find it and hang it on his hat.
But moving on to said Syrah- this killer little bottle is from the Lodi region of California, a place known for making some pretty darn delicious Zinfandel, among other varietals. Anyone remember the 7 Deady Zins that we poured by the glass at Cellar a while back and people couldn’t get enough of at the Wine Sales? This is made by the same folks. Lodi is about an hour south of Sacramento and has much hotter summers than the more northern wine regions in Cali. I think wines from Lodi are a perfect fit for Columbia, SC- because we know what it’s like to be overshadowed by a neighboring city (hint: starts with a Chuck and ends with a Town). I’ve never been to Lodi, but I think I would love it. The people there seem to have a lot of pride for their wine in a way only an area that has played second-fiddle to Napa-the-great could have.
So as it turns out, Lodi makes awesome Syrah as well as Zin! And such a bargain! This 6th Sense Syrah will retail for $16 at Cellar, and it is packin’ some serious heat for that kind of cash. Dark, dark in color, it’s nose will knock you out with aromas of tobacco, smoke, cedar, blackcurrants, plums, plums, plums and ohh a lovely little hint of smoked bacon, too. A perfectly smooth, velvety texture and light pepper on the finish round it out pretty darn well. This is a great winter wine- it will warm you to the bones.
Here is is on my ottoman/coffee table aside my latest People magazine. I almost included my feet in the picture, so you could get the full effect of what I do when I’m at home writing… I do like to create a visual, but hesitated when I realized that my toenail polish is in dire need of reparations. I can admit to it, but admitting it and photographing it are two different matters entirely. You’re welcome.
We have about a case of this in stock right now (Wednesday the 27th) so I anticipate we will have some at the Wine Sale this Saturday for your tasting pleasure- but feel free to come down and pick up a bottle before then! I don’t think you need to try it- just trust yours truly, I don’t think I have ever led you astray. Happy Drinking!
So, here we go! First is a fantastic Brut from Iron Horse in CA, their “Classic Vintage” 2004. For anyone that doesn’t know, most sparkling wine is labeled NV for Non-Vintage, which means it’s a blend of grapes from several different growing seasons. Whenever a sparkling wine is a Vintage Year, like this 2004, it means that that particular growing season produced grapes of particular high quality, and they had enough character to stand alone in a bottle. The Classic Vintage from Iron Horse is the most traditional of the Iron Horse Sparklings. It’s rich, creamy, and goes with everything. This is perfect for the person that thinks that only France makes good sparkling wine! Isn’t it nice to prove those people wrong? Wine Enthusiast gave this vintage 92 points! It will be sold for $28 on Saturday, normal retail is $38!
lovelovelove this wine because it is so unique and different, and extremely well-made. It scored a nice 93-point rating last year from Spectator. Now, in total honesty, this is not your sister’s friend’s Pinot. It’s not going to be the light, bright, juicy strawberries and raspberries that a lot of people look for in a Pinot Noir. This wine has a heck of an earthy substance to it, and it’s not afraid to use it. It’s bold, aromatic, and ripe with black cherry, bramble, smoke, incense and the finish goes on for days. We sold out of this wine several months ago at $38 a bottle, and we have a limited amount back in for $25 a bottle!
Another favorite of mine is the Le Serre Nuove della Ornellaia, 2006 from Bolgheri. Lots of wine nerds that I’ve been reading online say that this wine is “Monumental!” I’m not making that up. It scored 94 points from Wine Advocate. Apparently the 2006 was something of a hallmark vintage for this winery. I have nothing to compare it to, much less the 17 vintages that a certain Wine Advocate reviewer has tasted, but I can say that this wine is LIGHTS OUT. Beautifully structured and approachable for being only 3 years old, it gives off ripe dark fruit, tobacco, grilled herbs, leather, tar and has an irresistible personality! Normal retail on this one is $55, this Saturday for $42!!
Spectator and 95+ from Advocate. Dark purple in color, it is rich with aromas of meat, bacon, truffles, blueberries and blackberries. Ready to drink right now, but it is built to age and could stand a few years in a cellar, if you have the patience. Normal retail is $55, tomorrow for $40!!
the wine snob. 