Happy Saturday! And since it's the first Saturday of the new month, it's also Cellar Saturday, that magical day when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making. Tonight I've opened a bottle that I bought on the way out of town from my last trip to Walla Walla, as I met the winemaker at his tasting room near the airport (truly old school for those familiar with how Walla Walla's wine scene has developed over the decades). The 2010 Syzygy Columbia Valley Red Wine is a blend of Syrah (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon(25%), Merlot (18%) and Malbec (12%) from the Conner Lee, Wallula and Stone Valley Vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington. So, let's see how this wine is tasting a dozen years in!
The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, a testament to the heavy Bordeaux varietals. A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry, lilac and prune. Take a sip and you're greeted with vibrant fruit that belies the mellow nose, a rush of blackberry, currant and cherry cola that easily transition to some mineral notes and a bit of peppery spice midpalate. The tannins are smooth and well structured for a velvety dry finish that will have you reaching for more.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I feared from the nose that I would be disappointed with a wine past its prime, but nothing could be further from the truth as this wine is vibrant and fruit forward more than a decade into its life! This wine is also an amazing bargain at $27 (still available on the Syzygy website here)! This wine would pair well with a variety of hard cheeses and charcuterie, grilled steaks, lamb or mushroom risotto, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse along with some grilled leeks and broccoli rabe and some corn on the cob (it's the first of the year, likely from Florida, so I'm not expecting much!) cheers!
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