Price:   $10.99

Blend:

Shiraz, Cab, Merlot, Petite Verdot

Nose:

Black cherry, pork and celery salt.

Palate:

Leans to the medium side of full bodied.  Moderate acid and soft, ripe tannin.  Dark black cherry notes with tints of raspberry and cherry and a long juicy finish.

Synopsis:

I’m not sure who would dislike this wine with it’s perfect balance between new world fruit and old world restraint.  Also this really opens up in the glass and becomes more and more sublime as time passes.  Unstoppable at this price.

The Som Rating: 8/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

Wines featured in today’s show:

• Yellow Tail Shiraz 2008  (~$7)
• Bodega Del Desierto 25/5 Syrah 2005  (~$18)
• Blacksmith Syrah 2004  (~$20)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

Honestly, aside from a few exceptions, I’m not too sure that “New World” Syrahs will ever set the world on fire.  I keep hoping and trying but, as we say in the wine retail world, they are hand-sells.  Sometimes that is not a bad thing.  But if they stay that way over time and few people come back to buy more, it gets really tough to maintain their sales long-term.   Know what I mean?  But I keep up the good fight because I think good Syrah is worth the battle.  They’re full bodied with lush, dark fruit notes and often with a hit of peppery spice.  That is right up my alley.

When it comes to food pairing, the one thing I would be wary of is the higher alcohol percentage in Syrah.  It can get up there pretty easily and as I’ve cautioned before:  spicy food and alcohol don’t team very well together.  Noticeably high alcohol in wine can enhance the heat in spicier foods.  If that’s your thing, cool.  If not…be warned.

That being said, I’m often flummoxed by the BBQ/Syrah suggestion.  BBQ ribs, chicken, brisket with Syrah makes little sense to me.  Sure, a burger on the grill and Syrah sounds great.  But anything with dry rub and/or sauce, it’s best to get some beer, or Sauvignon Blanc, or even a Sparkling wine.

For the perfect recipe, lets go Old World.  They tend to have a little higher acid and more vegetal notes.  I’m thinking of stuff from the Northern Rhone valley, but those prices tend to get crazy.  If you pick something from St Joseph (the largest N. Rhone region) or Crozes-Hermitage (the most bastardized N. Rhone region), you can cut the price down to the high teens or low 20′s.  With that in mind, and having a very prolific deer hunter in the family, I present to you a pretty fool proof and simple venison roast recipe that would do well with a bottle of Northern Rhone Syrah.

As Chef Tell would say, “very simple, very easy.”

Now, where did I put my bow?

Bright raspberry and blackberry notes with a touch of mint.

Palette:

Full bodied, but not as rich as you might expect from an Australian Shiraz.  Terrific balance of fruit, acid, and sweet, round tannin’s.  There is blackberry, vanilla, and a hint of spice.  The finish is lovely, long, cooling and smooth.  Very pretty wine that needs attention and some grilled rack of lamb.  Nothing fancy…just some simply prepared lamb, this wine, and some good friends.

The Som Rating: 8/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

Wines featured in today’s show:

• Marquis Philips Roogle Shiraz 2009  (~$10)
• Brassfield Estates Syrah 2004  (~$15)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

• Here is a recipe for prime rib that will take years to master but the mastering will be unbelievably tasty and fun.  What sort of wine would work with a flavor monster like this?  Lets break it down.  The balance of heat with sweet are all in place.  Smokiness from the long grilling process and the chili’s speak to a possible wine match.  You should have little to no issue enjoying the Brassfield Estates Syrah with this dish.  Big dark fruit flavors, above average acidity and the long smokey finish should play right into the prime rib’s hands.   One thing to keep in mind with higher alcohol wines (the Brassfield Syrah checks in at 14.8%) is that they may enhance the perception of spice in your mouth, and often that is not desired.  In the case of this dish I think we need to make a distinction between heat/smoke and flat out spice.  Pizza is spicy, but grilled prime rib steaks with bourbon BBQ baste has heat.
• I have made this short rib recipe a few times and every time I’m stunned with how amazing it is.  Labor intensive on the front end but comes together very quickly.  Shaving bitter-sweet chocolate on top of everything thing on the table never fails to induce gasps and it absolutely lives up to the promise.  This is an impossibly rich and savory meal and needs a wine that can match it.  Anything less than the power of an Australian Shiraz will be lost in the ether.  And of course the chocolate notes in the Roogle Shiraz don’t hurt.