2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

So yesterday was Black Friday and I have to admit, I didn't partake in all the shopping mania, though I did get in to the Christmas spirit.  I slept in, did some yard work and did my best Clark W. Griswold impersonation in putting up the garland and lights on the fence and by the front window.  And today, building on the spirit, I went up to Owosso, Michigan to ride on the North Pole Express, behind the Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive that was the locomotive behind the "Polar Express" movie.  So now that I'm fully immersed in holiday joy, I thought it was appropriate to open up a bottle of a recent wine club selection from L'Ecole No. 41, the 2016 Walla Walla Syrah, from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So, let's have a taste!

The wine s a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is an interesting combination of earthy notes along with some rich fruit notes, olive, black pepper and violets intermingle with notes of ripe blackberry and currant.  The taste is more classic old world syrah, with a rush of blackberry, cherry and smoky oak that eases into some notes of dark chocolate and classic peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, providing nice balance for the long, dry finish.  This syrah seems more the classic variety, and less avant guard than some of the heavy mineral examples coming from the Rocks district of late, and for me that's a good thing, as I think it makes this wine more approachable and food friendly.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is an easy drinking wine that I could enjoy with a broad range of dishes, from pizza and tacos, to seared tuna or hearty steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of grilled Zahtar seasoned Angus chuck eye steak with some grilled asparagus and oven roasted purple potatoes.  Cheers!