Gorgeous Syrah that drinks like Côte-Rôtie at a third of the price.
Syrah is a wine of split personality. Somehow, it magically dances a fine line between the hipster sommeliers and the great majority that simply just enjoy a nice glass of Syrah from time to time. While Syrah's non-identical twin "Shiraz" from Australia may win the popularity contest, the widely accepted benchmark of the grape is in the Northern Rhône Valley of France.
In the Southern Rhône, Syrah plays a major role, however, it's usually in partnership with Grenache, Mourvedre, and a number of other varietals in Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends. In the Northern Rhône, it's on its own and is the presiding grape in the famous vineyards of Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and additionally, the lesser known vineyards of Saint Joseph.
Most of the famous vineyards in the Northern Rhône are found in small, defined areas. In contrast, Saint Joseph stretches across 60 kilometers along the right bank of the Rhône river, passing through dozens of villages in the departments of the Ardeche and Loire.
Pierre Gaillard's Saint Joseph is drawn from a number of parcels in the villages of Malleval and Chavanay in the northern part of the region. His 77 hectares of organically farmed vineyard holdings are all at higher altitude and the steeply pitched soil contains a high percentage of granite -- significant for his more vibrant style of Syrah.
Before starting his own vineyard in 1985, Gaillard started his career working for two of the most famous names in the region; Vidal Fleury, and Guigal. Throughout the 1980's, he was an established and key member of the winemaking team at Guigal and contributed to the initial 200 case release of Guigal La Turque in 1985.
Of course, the real treat here is in the glass.
Briary and smokey notes give way almost immediately to dark berry and violet nuances. If there's one grape that can benefit from air, it's certainly Syrah, so give it a good swirl in the glass. You'll notice a beautiful lift and freshness that you may not associate with Syrah, along with a complex floral character and a nice underpinning of olive tapenade. Hammond and I enjoyed a glass on Saturday night, and another this evening. Tonight it's even more lush and rounded, a true sign of a well-made wine.
Enjoy this with meats from the grill, stews, and ragouts, however, it has such nice lift and freshness, I could also see it with a grilled tuna loin.
I don't have a lot of this one, however, it was just too good not to mention.
Regular price here at the AWM: $32.99
$28.04 in a case, solid or mixed
Ask for a taste! We'll have this on the on the Coravin; available for a limited time for youto try before you buy.
Don't worry if you can't make it into the shop. Just phone with a credit card number and we'll hold your purchase in our 55-degree cellar for pickup at your convenience