Smackin Good Syrah

NEED A REMEDY FOR THE SILVER PALATE ON A TIGHT BUDGET? Look no further than the 2007 Domaine des Cantarelles Syrah de Fayel. It has it all: cheery, lively fruit with a hint of herb lurking beneath with no oak to mask the sunny syrah flavors and it costs only $10.99 ($9.34 per bottle on a full case purchase). My bio for our website notes that I pride myself on turning people onto bang for your buck wines for everyday enjoyment. This is precisely the kind of wine that fulfills that promise. My first taste of this wine made me giddy with excitement knowing that our customers were in for a real treat. Tasting wine with staff in our warehouse is informative, but sometimes I need to get to know a wine better. This means taking a bottle home to get to know it on a first name basis. Many subsequent bottles later, my enthusiasm for this wine has only grown. The sweet black cherry fruit, while concentrated, remains lively and fresh on the palate. My weekly dinner menus tend to be simple preparations, so I favor medium-bodied reds, nothing heavy or overwhelming. The unoaked treatment is right on target when you’re looking for something delicious, albeit uncomplicated or unfussy, but that delivers lots of well-rounded fruit with no harsh tannins or excessive acidity. Meant with the utmost of respect, this is the perfect “pizza, pasta, burger” wine. If you haven’t heard, the 2007 vintage in the southern Rhone is a great success. Winemakers and wine critics alike are voicing their admiration for this vintage. I take notice when I hear things like “the best vintage ever” or “nothing like it in 30 years”. Whether or not I end up collecting the sought-after wines of this region, my excitement comes from knowing that in these consistent, across the board quality vintages like 2005 in Bordeaux, quality can be found at all levels. Translation: fantastic wines that are soft on the pocketbook abound! That’s good news; we all need a little good news. For a sneak peak into this phenomena, you must try the 2007 Syrah de Fayel. The vineyards for the Syrah de Fayel are situated southeast of Nimes. The large pebble strewn soils of this area closely resemble southern Cotes du Rhones vineyards. The meticulous work done in the vineyard by proprietor Jean-François Fayel ensures the best material with which to work. On a side note: not that us wine types pay attention to this kinda stuff, but I can’t tell you how charmed I am by the colorful label depicting the Feria de Nimes, or bull fighting.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s been hard to remember that we are still in the midst of winter. Even so, the sunny days haven’t made a dent into my cravings for slow braised meats and old-fashioned casseroles. As I scour over my grocery store fliers planning for the week ahead, I relish knowing that I can pop a cork on the 2007 Syrah de Fayel without feeling that I’ve overspent my budget. Anya