Hello my fellow Hivers! So one of my favorite varietals of wine is Syrah. It is just so good. With so many great examples around the world. Last week we had the opportunity to open 2 bottles, one from a little south of me, and then one from half way around the world. How did they compare?
The new world Syrah, from Santa Barbra County was decent. The aroma was there, but the depth was not. I have to wonder if it being so young was the reason? Tensely is a famous producer based on the Central Coast, and they make many bottling's from multiple vineyards. This particular one is the lowest offering. I would love to try this wine again in a year or two.
Now this Syrah is the reason why I am crazy about wine! As soon as we opened it up, we knew we had something special. We gave it a good 1 hour decant. It was big, and bold. What was funny is that the Tensly was 14.8%, and this one 13%. But I honestly believe that this Old World Syrah was in the 14's, and the New World Syrah was in the 13's.
Sorry for the bad picture. Guess I was a little buzzed by this time, lol. By far the Old World Syrah was better then the New World. But the Hermitage Syrah had 5 years of bottle age, compared to the 2 years for the Tensely. If you have not had any Syrah from The Hermitage region in France, I highly recommend you seek them out. Some of the best wines of the world come from here. But there is value to be found. Then I also would recommend you seek out Syrah from the Central Coast, regions like Santa Ynez, Paso Robles, and The Santa Maria Valley. Here is a great tip when seeking out California Syrah, if it is a great Pinot Noir maker, chances are their Syrah are also killer. Cheers!