Continuing my learner voyage around the world of wine to expand my knowledge and find the perfect after dinner wines, we come to Northern Rhone. These were suggested to me as good drink-alone wines simply because they were difficult to partner with food, and this wine was suggested to me in the shop as a "typical" example of the region.
=====
The wine is absurdly dark in the a glass - almost black. Even holding the glass up to the light only revealed a hint of deepest red.
There is a pungent smell of autumn undergrowth off the wine, very reminiscent of Burgundy but with a distinct peppery edge.
The initital palate is quite fearsomly peppery, the natural flavour of the wine being lent weight by some oak spice. This expands into a veritable feast of rich, savoury vegetable flavour - green pepper, olive and tobacco with the leafy quality sliding out from underneath and into a medium length finish. The balance is very good with noticable tannin which tough but not at all astringent.
Not the sort of flavour I'd usually look for in a wine, but this does seem very well made.
=====
So, questions....
* As much as there is such a thing, is this "typical" for the region? If I buy, say, Cote-Rotie will it be broadly similar? I'm not that familiar with Syrah, but this tasted like concentrated essence of Syrah to me.
* That odd flavour of autumn leaves that's so common in Pinot Noir and was present in this wine ... is there not a better descriptor for it? The flavour seems quite distinct to me and I've come across it nowhere else but wine. Autumn leaves doesn't do it justice - it's too rich and buttery for that. Anyone heard any better suggestions?