Some Syrah Just Has to Be

Last week I received my Wine Q shipment, in which Marshall included a very interesting white blend as a review sample.  But before I could dive in, I remembered I still had something to review from the previous shipment.  It was under my desk at work, along with all the other bottles that I allow to pile up before bringing home by the half case.  Well, my procrastination paid off because BK planned on working some magic on the rack of lamb thawing in the fridge. I dug through bottles until finding the 2005 Kendric Syrah from Shenandoah Valley.

The Kendric Syrah was almost exactly what I was looking for…smoky and meaty, with cocoa, cinnamon, and red currant. There was a fair amount of tannin and acidity. Well-balanced and easy to drink, it made the already tasty lamb even better. I only could have asked for a little more of the granite as described in its soil.

I meant to come back to it the next day, though I didn’t have time until the day after that, but it was still going, more emphasis on the chocolate and spice.

This winemaking endeavor only began with the 2004 vintage and sounds like a labor of love. The Johnson family spends their time between San Francisco (law practice) and Novato (production, with the help of Starry Night Winery) and tending grapes grown in Marin (Pinot Noir) and the Sierra Foothills (Syrah).

Overall, the final product is pretty impressive, considering that these grapes were planted in 2001 and that Stewart Johnson has only been doing this for a few years. And obviously, others agree, as everything on the website is sold out.  It will be interesting to see where future vintages take him.

Image source: Farley Walker