This syrah is the result of the combined effort of two great wine makers: Jean Pierre Monier and Phillippe Perréol, both of whom are dedicated to wines that are natural, biodynamically produced with little manipulation but with a clear sense of place. This sense of place, that the French call terrior, is that essential character of the wine that can only come from the earth on which the grapes are nurtured, harvested, and fermented. In this case, it is very steep slopes of granitic earth in 5 hectares of southeast facing vineyards—in the wine world this is small and challenging. The integrity of these wine makers results in the care and dedication that such land demands, and the wine is nothing shy of wonderful—rich fruit, lush texture, and a pervasive earthiness that makes one stop and think.
David and I enjoyed this wine at Spark Restaurant in Newport, with an Oyster’s Rockefeller Pizza—yes, a fantastic and eclectic menu, indeed, but ideal for this bold and complicated wine. The pizza has just the right balance of salt, fat, and flavor to draw out the understated boldness of the syrah, which at first holds back, but after a little exposure to the air releases a blend of flavors—plum, fig, currants, and hints of peach. Indeed, big flavors, but the wine does not confront the way some modern-style syrah does, though it shares with modern, or new world style syrahs a lush texture. Its character, however, is much more complex than that because of its lively and pervasive acidity and the slight minerality, which balance the wine.
The joy is in the long and stylish finish. After the last morsels of the pizza were devoured, we lingered with a last glass of the syrah. All of its flavor and texture seemed to remain long after the last drops were gone. This wine would do well with a little aging, but it is already showing its character and quality. It is not inexpensive at $34, but it is pure and delicious, and, for me, well worth it.
The wines of the Northern Rhone are not simple; in fact, they are complex and demanding on your palate, but like all things that make us work for them, they deliver and satisfy in a way that few wines can.
Eat, drink, and think,
Maria
(Maria Glade is co-owner of Newport Wine Cellar, located in Newport, Rhode Island.)
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