PEPPERY, BLACK CHERRY, OAK, VANILLA, SMOOTH!
Please excuse my excitement; my taste buds have control of my brain and I have a new favorite! My fellow wine bloggers know that I covet my Syrah's, particularly the 2002 and 2004 from Griffin Creek, so I was quite excited to receive the 2005 Fort Miller Vineyard version as a house warming gift.
The first whiff after popping the cork on this Rouge Valley gem was the peppery spice and bold cherry nose that diffused from the glass. This encounter was off to a good start! Letting the first pour breathe a bit, I put the finishing touches on the pairing for the evening, New York pepper steak, cheese risotto, and corn.
After toasting my wife on our new house, our first sips were pure bliss... This wine contained all of the key components I require for a superior ranking: spicy nose, fruit and oak notes, with a smooth finish. In this case a subtle vanilla finish grew in intensity, while maintaining its smooth qualities, as the wine came to equilibrium with its uncorked environment. The pairing of this robust yet complex vintage with the pepper steak could not have been improved; fellow wine blogger Megan, who is a lover of a good sweet white wine could not complement this Syrah enough.
As a test, tonight I decided to pair the same bottle with chicken enchiladas... OK, this may not be the traditional pairing for a robust red, but I felt that I had to really push this wine to see if it ranked supreme on my list. After being open for a day, any bite that was imagined at first sip has completely vanished and the vanilla, cherry, and oak components have intensified! Yes, I think it actually got better!
I will be acquiring another bottle of this wonderful specimen and would suggest that even the folks a little apprehensive of reds give this vintage chance.
Finally, Drew and Josh, thanks much for such a wonderful gift; I would suggest locking your doors until I get a chance to purchase another bottle...
CHEERS!!!!
Please excuse my excitement; my taste buds have control of my brain and I have a new favorite! My fellow wine bloggers know that I covet my Syrah's, particularly the 2002 and 2004 from Griffin Creek, so I was quite excited to receive the 2005 Fort Miller Vineyard version as a house warming gift.
The first whiff after popping the cork on this Rouge Valley gem was the peppery spice and bold cherry nose that diffused from the glass. This encounter was off to a good start! Letting the first pour breathe a bit, I put the finishing touches on the pairing for the evening, New York pepper steak, cheese risotto, and corn.After toasting my wife on our new house, our first sips were pure bliss... This wine contained all of the key components I require for a superior ranking: spicy nose, fruit and oak notes, with a smooth finish. In this case a subtle vanilla finish grew in intensity, while maintaining its smooth qualities, as the wine came to equilibrium with its uncorked environment. The pairing of this robust yet complex vintage with the pepper steak could not have been improved; fellow wine blogger Megan, who is a lover of a good sweet white wine could not complement this Syrah enough.
As a test, tonight I decided to pair the same bottle with chicken enchiladas... OK, this may not be the traditional pairing for a robust red, but I felt that I had to really push this wine to see if it ranked supreme on my list. After being open for a day, any bite that was imagined at first sip has completely vanished and the vanilla, cherry, and oak components have intensified! Yes, I think it actually got better!
I will be acquiring another bottle of this wonderful specimen and would suggest that even the folks a little apprehensive of reds give this vintage chance.
Finally, Drew and Josh, thanks much for such a wonderful gift; I would suggest locking your doors until I get a chance to purchase another bottle...
CHEERS!!!!
Excellent review, Mr. Full, although I'm not telling you where I'm hiding my bottle :)
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