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 1998 RED TRIANGLE SYRAH
The Insiders'
Wine Line
2000 Tasting Notes
Volume 3, Number 6
91 Points - "OUTSTANDING"
The 1998 Syrah, "Red Triangle", Napa Valley
has a perfumed bouquet of raspberry, ripe strawberry, roses, cinnamon,
pomegranate, mint and Asian spice. The flavors of blackberry,
strawberry, raspberry, pepper, ginger, and creme brulee have a
fabulous texture and balance followed by a complex, fuity, lingering
finish.
JERRY
MEAD'S
INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION
ROWLAND SYRAH - Silver Medal
1998
Red Triangle, Napa Valley
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
March 15th, 2000
RECOMMEND WINE OF THE WEEK
"FLYING
WINEMAKERS"
They
call them the “flying winemakers,” and Gerry Rowland would certainly
fit the bill. The bearded Rowland is an Aussie, but he divides
his time these days between making wines in California and New
Zealand.
Talk about a full palate. Rowland
makes California wines under the Rowland Ramspeck and Cenay labels,
and a Pinot Noir under the Rowland label from southern New Zealand
(last week's five star wine of the week).
There’s a vineyard east of downtown
Napa in the southern part of Napa Valley called the Red Triangle.
It’s a hill-side vineyard with rocky soil not unlike the vineyards
of the northern Rhone. From this vineyard comes the wine pick
of the week.
Very Rhone
like, although the wine is actually a blend with a generous dollop
of Cabernet Sauvignon for structure. Because it was a cool summer
in northern California, Rowland said, he had to drop 50 percent
of the fruit during the growing season to maximize the fruit quality.
Good move.
Rowland also does something more
akin to Pinot Noir. He does a whole-cluster fermentation, which
allows for optimum fruit flavors and who knows, maybe that’s the
secret to those intriguing Rhonish flavors.
Bottom line: this is a cracker-jack
wine, especially at the $24.99 price. With medium-rare lamb chops
it doesn’t get much better than this.
Needless to say, the Rowland Syrah
is pretty limited in availability, but it is definitely worth
the search. You’ll be glad you did. Because this California Syrah
won’t take a back seat to anybody.
And that’s the truth-straight no
chaser.
WineToday.com
(a
subsidiary of the New York Times Co.)
General
Qualities: Medium complexity, medium-bodied, tannic, toasty oak;
Color: Deep purple; Aromas: Blackberry, licorice, plum, spice
notes, toast; Flavors: Cedar, pencil lead, spice notes, toast
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