Tag Archives: syrah

Whiners and Winers

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Montreal wHines about another foot of snow.

Oak Bay wHines about lawnmower noise instead of snowplow noise.

Calgary wHines about Minus 40 and Snow.

Summerland wHines about Minus 15 and Not enough snow for skiing.

North Saanich wHines about not enough colour for his sunset shots.


We go visit the Goddess and wine.


Even if you aren’t a carnivore, you’ll enjoy this one.  You could do fish or just share with nachos. A cheese plate would go wonderfully with it.


We chose to make a big, fat, thick homemade stew that filled the house with warmth. 

Beautifully structured from aroma to finish.  A vineyard we very much like.


A true 93 pointer of Syrah/Shiraz.  Deep rooted, organically grown vines that are at least 25 years old. Around 12 months ageing. 85% of which takes place in concrete tanks to preserve the freshness and minerality of the fruit. The remaining 15% is aged in barrel which gives the wine consistency and power, along with aromatic complexity.

CROZES HERMITAGE – CHAPOUTIER MEYSONNIERS ORGANIC 19

$29.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 03391180001749

Is it the 1%?

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33% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre & 1% Other

Berries, Cherries and Plums are the predominant flavours. Lots of silky, smooth bright cherry, blueberry and spicy.

Carbonic maceration is typically undertaken with light to medium-bodied wines to make them fruitier and to soften their tannins.  The grapes are not crushed, rather put whole bunch into a fermentation vessel then carbon dioxide is added and the vessel sealed so no oxygen can interact with the grapes.  There is no yeast to cause the grapes to ferment.  The fermentation happens within the grape where the carbon dioxide is used to break down the sugars and malic acid within the grape. Once the alcohol level reaches 2%, the berries burst to release their juice and at this point fermentation using yeast is undertaken to convert the remaining sugars from the grape juice to produce the wine.

Other reviewers give this a 91 points. I’m tempted to go a little higher. It’s robust and exceptional value.

CORBIERES AN 806 GRENACHE SYRAH MOURVEDRE – GERARD BERTRAND

$17.99 $19.99 regularly

14% alcohol

UPC: 03514123101768

Naramata Bench Excellence

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This is a lovely vintage with all the characteristics of a good Malbec.

Excellent tannins and oodles of flavour, and a long, lingering finish.

It came as a gift, and we treated it with honour and respect – by enjoying the entire bottle whist doing dinner prep, with dinner, and lingering with chit chat before dessert.

LaFrenz Malbec 2018

Rockyfeller Vineyard

Blend: 88% Malbec and 12% Syrah 

Alcohol: 14.8%

Wakey Wakey

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This one announces itself with a big fat bouquet and a resounding wake up call to your taste buds on first swirl. All your senses are alive by the second sip.


By the 3rd sip I wouldn’t say MY senses were balanced, but I’d decided it was delicious.


Syrah was first planted by the Phillips brothers in 1982. This vineyard is just a hop, a skip and a jump from the winery, and is one of the earliest plantings of Syrah in California. With Michael’s son Kevin continuing the Phillips grape growing tradition into the 6th generation, this Syrah vineyard was one of the first he tended to as Vineyard Manager of Michael David Winery.


Our rendition spent 16 months – 64% French oak (18% new), 36% American oak (11% new).


Thank You K for bringing it to lunch.


Michael David Syrah 2012  6th Sense

15% alcohol

Twas a dark and stormy night

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We started out with a traditional Pinot from Chile.  Then moved up the mountains in Argentina for a Malbec, and then hopped over to Portugal for a blend.


What a Week!


There was no pushing the food around on the plate. It was all inhaled. The meals were hearty fare that were built to fend off the damp Fall and bring out the moody mysteries of the wine.  I’m going to have to turn back the scales 5 kilos as well as the clocks.


The medium-bodied Pinot was silky with fresh red berries there to pick up the earthiness, Flashes of spice to perk up the acidity. 


PINOT NOIR – UNDURRAGA GRAN RESERVA SIBARIS LEYDA VALLEY

$15.99

14.0 % Alcohol

UPC:07804315304722

A rich, solid blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet.  It is bold, smooth, dry, and soft – spicy and toasty It has a fine balance between cool tannins and bold black fruits. 

ALENTEJANO – CASA SANTOS LIMA QUID PRO QUO

14.2% Alcohol

$15.99

UPC: 05604424433014

Today, Argentina is a world leader in high-altitude grape-growing and Malbec is thriving at 1,000 to 1,500 metres in elevation. The benefit of altitude is cooler nights and large temperature swings between day and night of the kind most winegrowers never experience. Grapes do much developing in the final four to six weeks of ripening where the temperature is the determinant of any single component of flavour or aroma.

Since varying flavours and aromas are produced at different temperatures, the best wines need a vineyard with a range of favourable temperatures to capture all the desirable flavours and aromas. A good start is a nighttime temperature in the low teens followed by daytime highs in the mid to high 20s.


MALBEC – LA LINDA PRIVATE SELECTION OLD VINES 2018

$17.49 regularly $19.99 

14.2 % alcohol

UPC:07791203001675

Talkin ’bout OUR Gurlz

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The Reviews are in:

Brazen!

Unabashed!

Wild!

Ravishing!

Complex but not complicated!

Of course they are!

Oh … are we supposed to be talking about wine?  


This VQA Rosé is dry-to-off-dry, medium bodied with medium acidity and just a touch of drying tannins. Smooth palate and a uncomplicated finish.


50% Merlot, 29% Syrah and 21% Pinot Noir.


It will work with just about anything (so will our Gurlz).  

Better bring more than a couple of bottles because it’s perfect for sitting on the patio listening to Gurlz adventures.

GROW WILD – RAVISHING ROSE 2020

$16.99

12% Alcohol

UPC: 00776545600776

For days like these

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Made from Barbera, Syrah and Muscat Blac to give a slight salmony colour.  

Some might say jammy in flavour. It has a similar complexity to Pomegranate Molasses. One side of your head says slightly sweet, and the other says tart.


It is a great wine for sitting on the deck or patio with friends and sipping away the sunset. If you are going to add food – what about a light chicken salad or a cheese plate?


CALIFORNIA ROSE – JOSH CELLARS 2019

$19.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00031259001043

Nobel and Potent

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This is a potent wine – smooth and well balanced. It is  refreshing and has a luscious finish.


Authentically Douro. Named after the emblematic cedar tree that dominates the terrace of Quinta do Noval, Cedro do Noval is an authentic expression of the Douro. Principally made up of classic Portuguese varieties, it also contains a proportion of Syrah, which rounds out the fruit.


Cedro is typically a blend of several of the noble Portuguese varieties and some experimental plots. The 2017 vintage is composed of 55 % Touriga Nacional, 25 % Syrah, 15 % Touriga Franca, 5 % Tinto Cão.

The wine is vinified through pump overs in stainless steel vats. Aging is in French oak casks (12% new) for approximately 10 months.

Duriense Quinta Noval DURIENSE – QUINTA NOVAL CEDRO DO NOVAL 2016
$25.97  regularly $29.99

13.5 % alcohol

UPC: 05601064000231

Night Moves

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Can you see what you’re picking – when the harvest is done at night to take advantage of the cool air to give a crisp freshness. The Cinsault and Syrah grapes make a delicious rose.  A great aperitif or accompaniment to seafood or fruit salads.

Maybe we should be playing a little Bob Seger “Night Moves”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mRFWQoXq4c

If you like Provence rose then you’ll love this. Don’t be fooled by the delicate pink colour as this is a delicate but robust wine that will go with almost everything.  We enjoyed ours with scallops (quick sear – s/p paprika one side, ground pistachio nuts on the other) and couscous and a grape/cucumber mixed green salad and it was delicious.  Brought back memories of cooking school with Anthony Sedlak and using a spoon with scallops.


Lovely flavours and dry on the palette. This is a great value Rose wine.


Languedoc Laurent Miguel 2019 Vendanges Nocturnes Classic

$12.49

12.5 % alcohol

Lush. Rich. Concentrated

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There is Braille on the label and I would love to know what it is saying, and the significance of why it’s included.

This Syrah is from Northern Rhone. There is a silky texture and decently long finish. It has a lovely full-bodied sense.


South facing slopes with soil consisting of a mixture of clay, pebbles and gravel. The alluvial terroir of Crozes-Hermitage was formed by terraces from the Rhône and Isère rivers.


The red Crozes-Hermitage “Les Meysonniers” comes from the vines which are at least 25 years old.

CROZES HERMITAGE – CHAPOUTIER MEYSONNIERS ORGANIC 16

$26.99 on sale from $29.99

13% Alcohol

UPC: 03391180001749