Great Value Syrahs & Shiraz
by David Haley
As we enter the autumn season we move away from lighter whites and look for fruity, slightly heavier reds that accompany our seasonal foods. In this article we found four delicious reds that deliver excellent body, flavor and all around balance.
Liberty School Syrah 2005 Central Coast California
The Hope family traces its wine growing heritage in Paso Robles back
twenty five years to a time when the area was known for fruit
production. Wine grapes were barely found in the area. Farmers first,
the Hope family typifies the great wine families of the early
California wine industry. Austin Hope, third generation farmer/first
generation winemaker, oversees all the wine production for Treana Winery
and Liberty School wines. Austin also travels the country promoting
both Paso Robles and the Hope Family wines.
Quality is the paramount goal and they succeed on both labels.
From the Hope family vineyards in Paso Robles comes this beautiful, bright, well-balanced wine. Syrah from this region of California located mid point between Los Angeles and San Francisco will typically offer blackberry and cherry flavors, mineral notes and soft tannins. This Syrah offers depth and character with vanilla notes and spice perfectly proportioned on the finish. Three percent Viognier is added to heighten the aromatics. This wine represents exceptional value. $13.00 www.treana.com/
Rutherglen Estates Syrah 2005 Australia
The Rutherglen region is located in the North East Victorian zone of Australia, approximately 280km from Melbourne. The climate is warm and dry, with good rainfall during the growing season. These conditions create rich, ripe, indulgent wines, with fine varietal flavors and elegance.
The 2005 vintage is a blend of 85% Shiraz and 15% Petite Sirah (Durif). A bright nose of dark red fruit is evident immediately after opening the bottle. It provides a mouthful of rich flavor and juicy tannins with a soft dry finish. Enjoyable now or cellar for a couple of years. $15.00
Steele Shooting Star Syrah, Lake County 2005
Look to Steele “Shooting Star” Syrah for versatility with food, flavor and character. Proprietor Jed Steele is well known as the man who created the distinctive Kendall Jackson wines of California. Jed pioneered the signature KJ Chardonnay style which many have tried to copy. In 1991 Jed Struck out on his own with his family vineyards and has not looked back. He started “Steele Wines” and the “Shooting Star” label to take advantage of small lots of high quality grapes at his disposal.
This is a very flavorful and accessible style of Syrah. Light to medium body and without significant tannin; it is easy to enjoy with or without foods. Red fruit characters come through (cherry, raspberry) in the mid palette with a slightly earthy, gamey nose on the finish. Very Good. Serve with a steaming bowl of seafood stew or a nice plate of pasta with Marinara sauce. Perfect Autumn wine! $16.00
Excelsior 2005 Shiraz (South Africa)
Superb values are coming from South Africa in the Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah categories. This 2005 Shiraz is from grapes grown in a clay-based soil that expresses itself in the wine as a mineral component. The Excelsior Shiraz is dark red ruby with aromas of blackcurrant and light vanilla oak. $10.00 and worth it.
Salute,
David Haley
As president of Haley Marketing Group, a New England based wine brokerage, David Haley travels to wine regions around the world to discover exceptional wine values. (He calls it work, but that’s debatable.) His background in wine spans sixteen years in the wholesale and wine import business with some of the most prestigious importers in America.
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