OK, so I haven’t posted any thing in a while. I have tasted something recently, but I’ve been going back ad forth about whether I liked it enough to recommend, or not. My final decision is this, I’ll give you my thoughts and let you decide to try it, or skip it. The vino in question is a 2009 Trader Joe’s Reserve Mendocino County Syrah, for only $9.99 (here in Vegas, anyway).
Three things made me feel compelled to try this one out. First, decent Syrah is hard to find for less than a ten-spot. Most of it is cheap Aussie junk, with a cutesy name, like Kuala’s Bum. And that’s what it usually tastes like. Second, Mendocino has a clod climate, which is what you want for a Syrah to have a more elegant structure. This one is listed at 13.9% Alc, which is right in the range I’m looking for. Thirdly, TJ’s hit such a home rum with their Reserve Alexander Valley Cab, that I thought, “What the Hell, maybe they got two in a row.”
So how was it already? The color was a young purple. On the nose, it had blueberry & blackberry fruit, with a touch of pepper and underbrush. Not a bad start. In the mouth, it had a medium body, with blueberry & blackberry fruit, a bit of spice, and some decent acidity. But it lacked the same kind of depth and length to the finish that made the Alex Valley Cab so great. The Syrah didn’t suck by any means, but I wasn’t knocked out by it either. Maybe because it’s just a bit young, and needs time to come around. But that doesn’t help here and now.
My final verdict is this, for a $9.99 Syrah, it’s worth a try. It is from a specific place, not just a generic “California” blend. In the world of budget Syrah, that’s a rare thing. So, if you’re nuts about Syrah, roll the dice. You may like what you get. Me, I think I’ll keep looking.
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