Goodbye Havens

So, this evening we are trying a 2006 Havens Hudson Vineyard Syrah, for the first, and probably, last time. Not because it's bad, but because Havens no longer exists. They went out of business and sold off all their stock this past summer. As a result, many places, like the Wine House, bought up a ton of the inventory and are selling it at ridiculous prices. I think this was originally about $45, but Wine House was selling it for $18.

Well, it certainly is pretty good juice. Big and a bit sharp at first, we had to decant it to let it open up and soften a bit. Once it settled, it was darn good. Great syrah-y flavors, fairly complex, big red fruit, lots of pepper - reminds me of smoky BBQ. However, just a bit sharp in the finish, even a few hours after decanting. Not a totally bad thing, just evident. If you have the chance, grab some and check it out before it is all gone.

Even More Washington Syrah

Tonight! From the Red Mountain area of Washington, a 2006 Efeste Ceidleigh Syrah. $25 at LA Wine Co, and $30-32 elsewhere. First of all, "Ceidleigh" is pronounced Kay-Lee. Second of all, 54% of the fruit in this is sourced from the Ciel du Cheval vineyard, which generally produces damn good stuff. And Wine Spectator (aka "wine speculator") gave this 93 points. If you care.

Very few wines I experimentally buy from LA Wine Co. disappoint, and this is no exception. Big, bold and tasty, however I thought a bit alcoholic. (At 15.2%, no shock there.) Quite a bit of spice, very juicy, and even a bit of a candied quality. Overall pretty dang good. Nice length. I'd like to see how this develops in about 5 years. Don't think I'd say 93 points, but good none the less.

Tamarack Syrah

For our Saturday evening wine, to pair with our ribs, we opened a 2002 Tamarack Cellars Columbia Valley Syrah, $22 at K&L Wines.

We LOVED the "Firehouse Red" blend they have (see previous blogs) and have basically made it our house wine. So, we figured this was worth a try.

And it was pretty good... nicely balanced... bold, but not overwhelming... paired with the ribs well... overall very nice. Great flavors and seemed to open up over time. Only complaints were that it didn't have a lot of length and wasn't super complex. Also, it didn't help Rachel's back, which is causing her much pain.

But Tamarack continues to impress. Yay Washington State wines!