Lusty Reds

[foodie52]

Yesterday, as part of the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, I attended a seminar titled: Lusty Reds and Scarlet Lips. We tasted 6 wines, most of them 100% Syrahs. Two of them blew me away:

Hedges Cellars Syrah 2002

100% Syrah from an 8 acre parcel of land in Washington. It's not yet bottled and there will only be 100 cases. Soft on the end, at first taste, almost like cotton candy. Later, the flavor changed to apricot.

Terre Rouge Syrah "Sentinel Oak Vineyard-Pyramid Block" 1999 Calif.

The most European-style of the wines. Won Best New World Red. From '82 vines, yield is 3 tons per acre. According to the master sommelier who moderated the session, this wine had "great grip" and good structure.

Both were amazing!

[sput]

Love love the Terra Rouge line...

Pyramid Block is their higher end bottling, but for value the Quest bottling also rocks... Also, try the white rhone blend, Enigma, for sure fire thrills...

[KatieLoeb]

Foodie:

If you're fond of the Hedges Syrah, I suggest trying some of their other wines as well. I have the "Three Vineyard Red" on our wine list and it's quite popular. It's a Cabernet/Merlot blend aged in mostly French, but a bit of American oak. It's positively luscious and an excellent value for the quality of the product. It seems Hedges little corner of Washington State has the perfect Bordeaux-esque microclimate for production of spectacular, affordable and delicious wines that are age worthy as well as drinkable young.

[foodie52]

Thanks for your recommendations!

Rod McDonald, of Old Vine Imports, presented the Australian Shiraz: d'Arenberg Laughing Magpie. Don't remember the vintage. 95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier. Also a good wine.

And my third fav was Qupe Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah 2001

100% Syrah, toasty and mineral notes, with some oak and floral tones.

We also tasted the Treana Red which didn't do anything for me, and Llano Estacado (Texas) Shiraz which was promising but definitely not in the same league as the other wines.

[claire797]

I love Syrah. I wish I could afford the expensive stuff, but right now I have to stay in the 12-15 dollar range. Any suggestions? My current favorite is Rock Rabbit. And when I want to splurge, I go for the Lane Tanner, which is outstanding (but costs more).

Katie and F52, thanks for recommending the Hedge's. I've seen it a million times but have never picked up a bottle.

[KatieLoeb]

I love Syrah.  I wish I could afford the expensive stuff, but right now I have to stay in the 12-15 dollar range.  Any suggestions?  My current favorite is Rock Rabbit.  And when I want to splurge, I go for the Lane Tanner, which is outstanding (but costs more).

Katie and F52, thanks for recommending the Hedge's.  I've seen it a million times but have never picked up a bottle.

The Fess Parker 2000 "Mackie's Blend" syrah is delicious, and within your (and my) budgetary constraints. I just polished off a bottle last night in fact <hic>! This was definitely one of the best $10.00 wines (on sale this month in PA) I've tried recently. I liked it so much I ran back and bought two more before they disappeared.

Look for Cotes du Rhone or Rhone syrahs as well. Those tend to be value priced and are reliably tasty.

[claire797]

I love Syrah.   I wish I could afford the expensive stuff, but right now I have to stay in the 12-15 dollar range.  Any suggestions?  My current favorite is Rock Rabbit.  And when I want to splurge, I go for the Lane Tanner, which is outstanding (but costs more).

Katie and F52, thanks for recommending the Hedge's.  I've seen it a million times but have never picked up a bottle.

The Fess Parker 2000 "Mackie's Blend" syrah is delicious, and within your (and my) budgetary constraints. I just polished off a bottle last night in fact <hic>! This was definitely one of the best $10.00 wines (on sale this month in PA) I've tried recently. I liked it so much I ran back and bought two more before they disappeared.

Look for Cotes du Rhone or Rhone syrahs as well. Those tend to be value priced and are reliably tasty.

Thanks! I'll look for the Fess Parker first and move on from there!

[winesonoma]

Love love the Terra Rouge line...

Pyramid Block is their higher end bottling, but for value the Quest bottling also rocks... Also, try the white rhone blend, Enigma, for sure fire thrills...

Be sure to try their Tete a Tete red rhone blend.