Syrah is one variety where a little smoke taint can work out in a wine in today’s marketplace. With so many Syrah bottlings showing heavy oak treatment, the 2015 fires in the Paso Robles area made this fruit show in that zone without needing to burn a bunch of barrels to achieve the characteristic, and here it works well with the mixed berry and spice. Sourced from Rancho Margarita.
Claiborne & Churchill, Paso Robles (California) Syrah 2015
By Rich Cook