WTN: Get ya' ice cold Syrah heah!!!!

I cracked a bottle of Cline Cellars '05 Cool Climate Syrah on Friday last. Since it's been a little hot in these parts and my kitchen open bottle station was getting rather warm, I stuck this bottle in the fridge. I took it to Zari's house over the weekend where we each had one glass at "normal red wine drinking temp." I took it home and stuck it in the fridge again. (Yeah, I know. Talk about nursing a bottle of wine. And, no, James, I wasn't being cheap.) Tonight, Monday night, I yank it out and pour myself a cold one. It was completely delicious at fridge temps. I was surprised. There was more fruit to it than the usual smokey, leathery lard, but the cold didn't kill the flavor or the complexity. I am used to drinking chilled red wine. My sainted mother would have it no other way except straight out of the fridge. Guess that's what made a beer drinker out of me in my younger years.

Gary, It does say cooool on the label. In all seriosity, the chill probably helped kill-off some of the candy.

I stuck a bottle of 2005 Jewell Petite Syrah in the fridge last week after drinking just one glass.

I hadn't been particularly impressed with the wine...the tannins weren't well integrated, and the fruit was lacking. Overall it just didn't seem well balanced.

Finally got back to it about 5 days later, poured a glass and let it sit for about an hour to try and warm it up (it was still slightly chilled when I drank it w/ dinner).

What a difference! The elements all came together much more nicely this time, and I could taste lots of black cherry. Not sure if it was the time in and out of the fridge that did it or the meal (roasted chicken w/ fresh squash and carrotts on the side) but it was a much more enjoyable wine this time around.

Last night I tried mixing the small amount that I had left with some very inexpensive garnacha I had opened, hoping to benefit from the additional tannins, but it didn't really do much for me.