Cracked last night w/ my pizza:
1. BoomBoom WashState Syrah (Land to Hand/Vnyd to Btl; 13.5%; http://www.CharlesSmithWines.com) CharlesSmithWines/Mattawa/WA 2007: Very dark/near black color; intense blackberry/boysenberry/huge Syrah fruit slight earthy/smokey light toasty/oak nose; soft/fat/lush/soupy slight tannic big/huge/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah fruit slight earthy/pungent/oak bit menthol flavor; long bit hard/tannic huge Syrah/boysenberry/blueberry/fruit soupy/fat finish; needs another yr or two; a big/blowsy/pancake syrup style of Syrah w/ tons of ripe/lush fruit; a steal at $16.50
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Inspired by MacIntyre's choice of BoomBoom as his poster child for restrained/elegant/low alcohol Syrahs and that not jiving w/ my recollection, I did a revisit on this wine. If this is his poster child, then the mug shot should be hanging in the PostOffice. It's a huge fruit bomb of a Syrah in a pancake syrup style if'n I ever done see'd one. As to the alcohol level, there was no obvious heat or fuminess to it, but I seriously doubt it was 13.5% because it tastes of very ripe fruit harvested at 25+Brix. If the label is accurate and it is 13.5%, then it has to have been RO'd. Methinks that MacIntyre was scammed by the label and drinking the label, not the wine. Not the first time that's happened to a wine journalist.
That said....I love this wine. Big/huge ripe Syrah fruit and a great example of a "pancake-syrup" style of Syrah, that even displays a bit of WashState terroir. Great buy and a great pizza wine and may even develop some in the btl.
Tom