PETIT WEEK IN WINE | January 10th - January 14th 2024 | |
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BLIND TASTING FLIGHT FEATURING:
West Coast Syrah
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Often overlooked in the New World, Syrah takes the spotlight for this week's Tasting Flight varietal view. Come experience this noble grape that checks all the boxes as one of our favorite winter reds!
While Syrah undeniably has its roots in France, with the likes of the soul-stirring wines of Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas in the northern Rhône, it's a grape variety that has wandered across the globe, finding its own unique voice wherever it lands.
In the United States, places like Washington, Oregon, and California craft some of the most coveted Syrah bottles you can get your hands on. Whether you're exploring the diverse expressions from the sun-soaked Central Coast of California or savoring the robust character from the Columbia Valley in Washington state, each region paints a unique portrait of Syrah, offering an exciting spectrum for exploration.
So, what makes Syrah so irresistible?
Imagine this: the dance of black and white peppercorns, the sultry notes of black fruits, the subtle whispers of dried herbs, and a hint of smoked meats. It's a sensory journey that makes Syrah the perfect companion for those winter evenings when you just want to cozy up and let each sip tell its tale.
Stop by Petit Philippe this week and find your favorite domestic Syrah! Our $25 Tasting Flight will surely elevate your palate, as we journey from California's Central Coast to the Pacific Northwest. And for those of you who pick up any two bottles from the flight, you will receive a complimentary 5th pour of your favorite!
Scroll down for our Tasting Flight hours, and read on to dive into the Syrah profile and the featured wines.
Hope to see you this week.
Cheers!
Mark
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Syrah tends to showcase fruit on the darker end of the spectrum, with brambly berries, mixed mountain berries, and plums as common tasting notes. In cooler locations and vintages, red fruit can also be found. Savory notes of cracked peppercorns, leather, and bacon are also common, as are hints of flowers like violets.
Given its thicker skin, Syrah's tannins often allow it to age with notable longevity, depending on where it's grown and the style in which it's vinified. And while it's not uncommon to find bottles of Syrah with alcohol levels pushing 15% or higher, there are also excellent options with more moderate levels of alcohol. The best of them all find a balance between spice and savory notes and generous ripe fruit.
It may seem counterintuitive, especially given the tannic structure of Syrah, but serving it at slightly less than room temperature is ideal, as warm Syrah can often come off as boozy and unbalanced –– a quick 15-minute rest in the refrigerator should help with that. And if your bottle of Syrah is a bit too tannic when you open it, decanting will help, as will vigorous swirling in a Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon glass.
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CALIFORNIA
Syrah was first planted in California in the 1880s, although the modern age of California Syrah did not start until the mid-1970s. In those days there was a lot of confusion about the relationship of Petite Sirah to Syrah. Eventually, DNA testing showed them to be different grapes sharing the same ancestry. Records show that Syrah made its first California appearance in Mendocino County in 1919, but it wasn't until 1974 that Joseph Phelps Vineyards released the first commercial Syrah, setting the pace for a movement that quickly picked up speed.
According to historian Charles Sullivan, as late as 1985, there were only about 100 acres of Syrah planted in California. By 2007, state agriculture statistics put Syrah plantings at 18,749 acres, an increase of 4% from the 17,637 acres the previous year.
OREGON
Commonly known as a warm-climate variety, when grown in Oregon’s moderate regions Syrah balances rich complexity, depth, and acidity. The wines are often intense, with deep violet, nearly black color, chewy texture and richness, and aromas that tend to be more spicy than fruity.
Most commonly found in the Columbia Valley, Southern Oregon, and Snake River Valley, Syrah represents 4% of Oregon’s planted acres.
WASHINGTON
Washington had a mere 3,000 acres of Syrah planted as of 2007, putting the Rhône variety in third place in the Evergreen State behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Consider these words about Washington Syrah, sourced mainly from Yakima and Walla Walla in eastern Washington, from Bob Betz, owner-winemaker of Betz Family Wines in Washington state: 'Against the background that Syrah is a chameleon of a variety, Washington has its own expression…It can develop a deep sense of ripeness, a real fruit purity, with structural lift, but I've never found it as jammy as Australian, or as structured as French.'
Betz believes that Washington Syrah has a more accurate varietal purity than what you find in California Syrah. 'Washington Syrah seems to me to be truer to the varietal expression of meat, smoke, wildness, and crushed dried herbs, with a structural component. California Syrah develops a richer, fatter mouthfeel, but may sacrifice some of the variety's natural expression.'
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PARK ROAD:
5:00 - 7:00pm Wednesday
5:00 - 9:00pm Thursday & Friday
1:00 - 9:00pm Saturday
1:00 - 7:00pm Sunday
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SOUTH END:
5:00 - 9:00pm Thursday & Friday
1:00 - 9:00pm Saturday
1:00 - 7:00pm Sunday
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Enjoy our Tasting Flight of FOUR West Coast Syrahs for $25 (half glass (2.5oz) pours each).
Also receive a gratis pour of your favorite when you pick-up two bottles of any wines on the flight!
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Beckmen Vineyards
'Purisima Mountain' Syrah 2020
Ballard Canyon, Central Coast, CA
$45 btl/retail
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The 2020 season will be remembered for its intense heat spikes in the Central Coast. Other than the intense heat, the season was a good one and has produced wines of outstanding quality with lower than average yields. The biodynamic farming also helped to offset some of the negative effects of the heat which helped to make this 2020 Syrah another stellar vintage for Beckmen Vineyards.
Varietal: 100% Syrah. Aged in 27% new French oak and 73% neutral for 19 months.
Tasting Notes: Classic Purisima Mountain Syrah with aromas and flavors of black fruits, chocolate, game, and pepper/smoke spice. Very ripe fine tannins frame the bold flavors and rounded texture. Somehow through all the heat, our fruit retained beautiful acidity which balances out the bold and rich flavors creating an awesome vintage of Purisima Mountain Vineyard Syrah with classic texture and structure. Drinking great now, the wine will age gracefully for the next 10+ years.
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Marietta Cellars
Gibson Block Syrah 2020
McDowell Valley, North Coast, CA
$42 btl/retail
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Made from the oldest Syrah in CA, in the McDowell Valley AVA, this wine reflects the property where it is grown – quiet, obscure & profound. This ancient, dry farmed, mixed block next to the original Gibson Homestead has been producing grapes for +100 years.
Varietal: Predominantly Syrah, old vine field blend. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 18-months in neutral barrels.
Tasting Notes: This Gibson Block Syrah from winemaker Scot Bilbro is full of umami, depth, and patina. White flowers, dried orange peel, and a windswept garrigue of black tea, fig cake and Luxardo cherry floods the nose. A long wall of amaro-like texture fills the mouth, yet the feel is light and lively, and the finish is clean.
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Brittan Vineyards
Syrah 2018
McMinnville, Willamette Valley, OR
$67 btl/retail
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From a blend of Garnacha and Viura, this clarete enchants from the first sip with its fruity and floral notes, its optimal acidity and its pleasant texture. In the words of the winery itself: "it is a vindication of the traditional wines of Rioja".
Varietal: 100% Syrah from the Brittan Estate vineyards that date back to 2005. Aged for 15 months in French oak, 20% new.
Tasting Notes: The 2018 Syrah has a luscious, fruit driven core of blackberry, blueberry, cherry and pomegranate. These dark fruits are accented with briny green olive, green peppercorn, sandalwood and cedar. Balanced and expressive Syrahs from our estate vineyard make us wonder why there aren’t more acres of Syrah planted here in the Willamette Valley.
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Januik Winery
' Ciel du Cheval Vineyard' Syrah 2018
Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, WA
$49 btl/retail
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One characteristic contributing to the great success of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is the high pH found in the topsoil of Red Mountain. Temperatures in the vineyard rarely reach above 95˚F which is ideal for vine development and fruit ripening. In fact, with as much as 3 more hours of sunlight per day per growing season than the Napa region, owner Jim Holmes is able to grow grapes with exceptional concentration and balance.
Varietal: 100% Syrah. After destemming and crushing, grapes were fermented on their skins. Aged for 19 months in 50% new French Oak barrels and 50% once used French Oak barrels to improve its already lengthy finish.
Tasting Notes: This WA state Syrah has a dark ruby red color and is brimming with plum, cherry, and raspberry notes on the perfumed nose. There are hints of spice and black tea which balance the fruit flavors. Its supple entrance onto the palate is followed by a nicely refined structure and a long seemingly endless finish.
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mark@petitphilippe.com | www.petitphilippe.com
Wine Emergency? text us at 415.306.4283
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