Last Wednesday, my Washington Post column detailed my issues with those big, bruising US syrahs that I'd been complaining about here over the past few weeks. But I did find some worth recommending.
(Eric Asimov wrote along the same lines in the New York Times, extolling California pinot noir makers who have gone against the syrupy blockbuster style favored nowadays. His article was much more influential than mine, but I'm okay with that!)
What makes for a good syrah? The same qualities that make for good wines from any grape, any place. Balance among fruit, acidity and alcohol. There are successful wines at high alcohol, such as the Sequel Syrah 2005 from Columbia Valley in Washington, at 14.7%. Part of the Long Shadows project, Sequel is made by John Duval, formerly winemaker for Penfold's Grange in Australia. The man knows syrah.
But his was an exception at that alcohol level. And I tasted some at 15.5% that were disjointed, clumsy oafs. Not only would I not want these wines dating my daughter, I wouldn't want them to wash down my dinner! :)
Please, winemakers, stop obliterating our palates. Please make wines of balance and finesse, ones that do not obscure the fruit for the supposed power of high extract, late-harvested wines. Too many winemakers are producing wines this way "because we can" - because the climate, improved vineyard techniques, yeasts, whatever, allow them to. And there is evidently a market for them, so more power to the winemakers who can sell their wines. But I think a lot of writers and consumers are beginning to balk at this trend. We want wines that we can finish, not wines that finish us.
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