After the jump, our man Collin Flatt gets busy with a bottle of Graham Beck Syrah 2001, ‘The Ridge’.
Graham Beck Syrah 2001 ‘The Ridge’
Oh, how I love me some South African Syrah. This wine is an excellent example of what the Stellenbosch region can produce at a very affordable price. Although South Africa is considered part of the ‘New World’ of wine, this particular bottle was made with the Classicists in mind. No ‘too big fruit’ or ‘too big alcohol’ to be found here, and definitely to the vintner’s credit.
A Chairman’s selection at $15, this wine is another steal. Generally, you have to pick and choose through the chaff to find the best of the best in the Chairman’s selections. But every once in a while a bottle like this shows up and makes the trip to the store worth it.
A varietally correct example of a solid Syrah, it has the smell of gamey meats (roasted lamb) on the nose along with some tobacco, and solid amounts of cranberry. The taste is a dark/black fruit wash on the mid palate with a nice twang of acidity. The body of the wine is the real star of the bottle here. A Syrah usually hits on all the heaviness your palate can handle will dominate any plate of food. This juice drinks with medium body that is highlighted nicely with a wonderful finish of heavy smoke and wood. The mouth feel is quite round and the wine never feels disjointed. Yowza. That’s a technical term. The medium body allows you to pair this wine with many foods, which is a small miracle in the realm of new world Syrah: Sexy wine.
If you don’t find this on one of the Chairman’s Selection racks, it will be in the South African section. South Africa sometimes gets lumped in with Argentina. I looked at the city’s stock left, and there are plenty left to go around, but they will not restock this wine again.
Collin Flatt is a former Beer Pong champ turned oenophile. Collin Flatt spends his tax refunds on wine. Collin Flatt has his Bachelor’s Degree in drinking and is getting his Master’s Degree in winemaking. Collin Flatt is working on an Arctice Splash Cuvee. Collin Flatt writes about wine for Phoodie.info.
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