Tried this last night at dinner:
1. Hamel Syrah AlegriaVnyd/RRV (14.4%; Vitis Allobrogica?) 1995: Very dark/black color w/ slight bricking; very strong spicy/peppery/blackberry/Syrah bit licorice/tarry light toasty/oak slight roasted/coffee lovely some complex nose w/ loads of Syrah fruit; soft quite lush/blackberry/Syrah lots of fruit slight toasty/licorice light roasted/coffee gentle/smooth/polished spicy/peppery some complex flavor; soft/smooth spicy/blackberry/Syrah/licorice light toasty/oak some complex finish w/ light tannins; a smooth/polished/ready to drink Syrah w/ lots of fruit left, especially for 13 yrs old.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This wine was made by KevinHamel, long a highly regarded winemaker in the RRV for a number of wineries. I originally liked this wine because of its strong Rhonish/roasted character. That has faded into the background and is only a subtle reminder now.
I haven't had any of Kevin's recent Syrahs for probably 5-6 yrs when he quit showing at HdR as it got so big.
The Vitis Allobrogica? refers to an original suspecion that the VitisAllobrogica vine that the ancient Romans grew was the native Syrah that was brought back from the RhoneVlly. The origins of Syrah were identified (of course) by CaroleMeredith as a cross between Deureza and MondeuseBlanche and suspected to have developed up in the Savoie and made its way to the Rhone, where it found its true home...at least until its true home was later found to be SantaBarbaraCnty and SonomaCoast.
Tom