 |
Wine
So Cool It’s Gotta Wear Shades
I’m still getting used to the idea
that we’re living in a new millennium
and we are already at the dawn of its second
decade (and we still don’t have 3-D
TV). For whatever reason, it seems right
and fitting when we come upon these natural
seams in time that we sit back and reflect
on where we are and where we are going.
What do I see in the way of wine trends
as we try to remember to write “10”
instead of “09” on the date
lines of our checks?
Here are a few of my bona-fide predictions
for the decade to come:
• Despite intense marketing efforts,
wine in a pill will not catch on (you think
I’m kidding here, but I’m not).
• Toward the end of the decade, West
Coast winemakers will finally figure out
how to make table wines in excess of 25
percent alcohol. The breakthrough is declared
a failure when a 99-cent, pint-sized wine
made to fit in your back pocket wins the
prestigious Judgment of Napa Wine Tasting.
Alcohol levels in all wines recede back
to a reasonable range by 2020.
• In 2016, a $400 boxed wine from
Bordeaux is released and is showered with
praise by wine critics, who swear they always
supported three-liter boxed wines even when
it wasn’t cool.
• In the 2018 sequel to Sideways,
Jack, Miles and Maya travel to the chilly,
windy coast of Sonoma, Calif., where they
discover the true meaning of wine does not
lie in a bottle of pinot noir, but in the
strength, sincerity and purity of cool-climate
syrahs. And even though an unknown wine
writer from Atlanta back in 2010 explained
why everyone should embrace cool-climate
syrahs/shirazes, the Wikipedia entry for
Sideways II is given credit for the immense
popularity of this subcategory of wine.
And even though I’m on a Nostradamus-like
roll, I’d like to pause to address
the latter peek into my crystal ball as
many of you may be a little confused as
to what exactly a cool climate syrah is
all about. No doubt, you are familiar with
the ubiquitous shiraz wines from Australia.
For a lot of wine-loving folks, this may
have been the first type of red wine you
could really get your mouth around. For
clarity’s sake, you should know that
the syrah grape is one and the same as the
shiraz grape and from here on, we’ll
just say “syrah” to refer to
all shiraz/syrah wines. OK?
The roots of syrah grow deeply in France’s
Rhône Valley. It found its way to
Australia in the 19th century and has always
played a part in Australia’s wine
history. For the past 20 or so years, however,
Australian syrahs have exploded on the scenes
of the U.S. and many other countries.
Now, I’m painting with a broad brush
when I say that Australian syrahs have a
reputation for being blackberry jam-like,
uncomplicated, somewhat high in alcohol
and lot of fun. Are there exceptions to
this gross generalization? Of course.
Cool climate syrahs (and let me say there
are plenty of these from cooler areas of
Australia) bear only a faint resemblance
to their jammier cousins. C.C. syrahs have
a fair amount of acidity, which is the antidote
to jam-like wines. They also have more in
common with raspberries, ripe blueberries,
violets, cola nut and those indefinable
earthy, mineral characteristics that are
hard understand until they’re pointed
out for you. In a word, these wines are
“complex”. In another word,
these wines have “soul.” (Again,
we’re talking generalities here. There
are exceptions.)
What’s the diff? Jammier, Australian-style
syrahs tend to grow in warmer vineyards
that get plenty of light and not too much
wind. Warm conditions accelerate the syrah
grape’s journey to ripeness, when
they are full of sugary goodness that fermenting
yeasts just love. Hotter weather also puts
a hurt on a grape’s ability to produce
acidity. The result is fruity wines that
have slightly higher alcohol levels than
grapes grown in cooler areas.
C.C. syrahs are often found in vineyards
that don’t see the sun as early in
the morning or as late in the afternoon
as other grapes. You might find them in
cooler sites that are close to ocean breezes,
at higher elevations or underneath early
morning banks of fog. This prolongs the
grape’s growing season and gives you
a slightly longer list of taste descriptors
(we’ll call this complexity), but
it also allows for acidy and sugar levels
to rise harmoniously at harvest time.
If cool climates are so great, where are
all the cool climate cabernet sauvignons?
Not all grapes are crazy about the lack
of warmth during the growing season. Without
going too far into confusing descriptors
like “stemmy” and “green
bell pepper,” let’s just say
some wines made in cool climate tend to
be Yuck-O.
Grapes like pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling
and syrah are not only quite different when
grown in cooler climates, they take on whole
new dimensions, mostly for the better when
they are in the right hands. As any farmer
will tell you, growing stuff in colder regions
has its risks. More killing frosts in the
spring, years when it’s too cold to
completely ripen the fruit and longer growing
seasons that are fraught with numerous risks
and increased expenses. Growing stuff in
cooler areas not only takes more money,
expertise and commitment, you need the intestinal
fortitude to occasionally throw your hands
up and say, “We’re not producing
a crop this year.”
I’m not an agricultural economist,
but in farming if you’ve got no crop,
you ain’t making money.
With great risks come great rewards. And
I’m seeing more C.C. syrah producers
who are getting into the game with some
success. This is important. As the wine
drinking market takes notice, there is more
incentive to start a cool climate syrah
program. If you recall way back in 2004,
pinot noir production skyrocketed after
it was so poetically described in the movie
Sideways. This popularity allowed many wineries—some
for good, some for evil—to try and
make wine with the finicky pinot noir grape.
C.C. syrahs have not quite attained meteoric
Sideways status yet. That’s where
Sideways II—Rise of Syrah comes in.
Until this unlikely movie is made, you should
look for syrahs from places like the Sonoma
Coast, Russian River, certain corners of
Monterey, the far western side of the Paso
Robles region and the Australian regions
of Margaret River, Clare Valley and Adelaide
Hills. I tried nearly two dozen cool climate
syrahs in a blind tasting from California,
Washington and Australia. With only a couple
exceptions, I could easily recommend any
of them.
If you’re intrigued by the notion
of being ahead of the curve for a change,
but are understandably confused, your local
wine retailer should be able to point you
toward some excellent examples of these
amazingly food friendly wines.
• My final prediction for the decade
to come is the New York Football Giants
will win an unprecedented three Super Bowls
in a row. Under the guidance of quarterback
Peyton Manning (who comes out retirement
to defend the fallen honor of brother Eli)
and newcomer coach Jim Burt (who molds the
toughest defensive team in NFL history)
the Giants are declared the team of the
teens.
2006 Milbrandt
Vineyards, Traditions, Syrah,
Columbia Valley, Wash.
•
$15
• Two Thumbs Up
• Lots of red and dark berry aromas,
quite fragrant with lots of perfumey violets.
It has flavors of coffee, dark chocolate,
blueberry, tart black berry and an exotic
toasted coconut spice quality. It finishes
with a black pepperiness.
2007 Saintsbury,
Sawi Vineyard, Syrah,
Sonoma Valley, Calif.
• $39
• Two Thumbs Way Up
• Whoa! Wonderfully fragrant with
aromas of cola, dark and rich black cherry.
Very pinot noir like, it has a touch of
violets and a punch list of so many red
fruit that change with each sip. Lots of
cola, coffee ice cream and black cherry.
Very juicy fruit with pinpoint acidity.
Finishes with a touch of white pepper that
seems to go on forever.
2006 Brokenwood Shiraz, South Eastern, Australia
• $36
• Two Thumbs Up
• Pleasant aromas of blueberry, raspberry,
light smoke and violets. Pinot noir-like,
very delicate. It has flavors of raspberry,
root beer and nutmeg. Wonderfully complex.
2004 Laetitia Syrah, Arroyo Grande Valley,
Calif.
• $26
• Two Thumbs Up
• Aromas of smoky, cola, chocolate
and blueberry aromas. Flavors of tart black
cherry, a light touch of spices, cranberry,
raspberries and a nice white pepper finish.
Seems to also need time to open up. |
