Wines of FreshDirect:
Que Syrah Has Found My Palate

Posted by Eric Hazard | No Comments

I don’t believe I have ever tasted juniper in a wine before this one. (For those of you wondering what juniper would taste like, think about the taste of gin). If you are looking for a wine to drink once a week, I’d point to this one.

Winery: Badger Mountain
Grape: Syrah
Region: Washington, United States
Year: 2004
Source: FreshDirect.com
Price: $21

Color: Blood red.

Nose: Heavy black pepper and leather scents. An overtone of chalk hides the unmistakable hint of pencil shavings. Beyond, the wine has light strawberry and apricot notes.

Taste: The wine leads with flavors that are reminiscent of a bloody mary: Worchester, pepper, garlic salt. The medium to medium-light bodied wine moves through the mouth smoothly, giving way to soft strawberry, sweet fruits, vanilla, asparagus and a hint of juniper berry. The exit is clean, with lingering sweet fruits and leather tastes.

What I like: This wine reveals its secrets slowly and selectively. As the wine opened up, faint hints of different flavors would come through: cumin, asparagus, juniper berries were some of the ones I picked up. This is a good, versatile buy at $21. It will pair well with spicy dishes, fish and vegetable heavy meals.

What I don’t like: It is hard to find much fault with this wine. It is perhaps more sweet than some regular red drinkers would prefer.

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