WBW #15: Samsara, Verna's Vineyard Syrah 2004

There's good news and bad news about my entry for this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by my pomegranate-loving fellow Bay Area blogger Fatemeh of Gatronomie. Fatemeh urged us to discover a wine with such a small production that only 250 cases or less were produced.

First, the good news. The sales people at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant led me to a beautiful syrah made in southern California's Santa Barbara County. There were only 60 cases of this wine made.

The name of the winery, Samsara, could not be more appropriate, as today is El Día de los Muertos, the Aztec/Mexican day to remember the deceased . In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, samsara refers to the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth that humans are stuck in until they manage to free themselves and attain enlightenment. The word samsara, then, tends to have a slightly negative connotation, unless of course you are marketing perfume or, apparently, syrah.

But anyway, back to the wine. This specific bottling of Samsara came from the 2004 vintage. Winemaker Chad Melville used syrah grapes from Verna's Vineyard, which is tended by his brother Brent. He then blended them with a small portion of white viognier grapes (8%), let the grape juice ferment naturally, aged it in 30% new French oak and bottled it unfiltered.

Yes, yes. What is the nose, the body, the finish? What aria do you hear playing upon the first sip? For God sakes, just tell us what this limited production beauty tastes like?*

Did I mention there was bad news? The wine was just released yesterday. I, ever the procrastinator, saw it at the wine shop this afternoon.

I struggled with the quandary of whether I really wanted to plunk down 36 bucks for a California syrah from last year's vintage that weighs in at 15.2% alcohol, rush home, pop the cork, pour myself a glass, snap a photo, write some drivel about how it could use about 5 to 10 more years of age and press "publish."

After a long, ponderous 2 minutes of deliberation, I decided to give it a pass.

I consider myself a connoisseur of cheap wines, by which I mean interesting and unusual wines from lesser known appellations that retail for, at most, $25. In my experience, most of the wines that fit that description come from Europe, not California.

In addition, as a chef and home cook, I prefer wines that pair well with food. For the Mediterranean style cuisine I typically cook, this means I prefer wines with good acidity and moderate (i.e. normal, reasonable) levels of alcohol. Although I did not sample the Samsara syrah, I view its relatively high level of alcohol as a red flag (yes, I am aware that there are many syrahs on the market that top 16% alcohol, and 15.2% is not that high for a California syrah).

But it really boiled down to one question. Why would I risk $36 on a California syrah when I know that for a comparable sum of money I could have a bottle of Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Domaine Tempier Bandol from the amazing 2003 vintage, either of which will dance with my grilled lamb or rib-eye like Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers?

*According to one taster, the wine "literally coated [his] glass and intense aromas of blackberry, spice, iodine, and savage notes jumped from the glass. A very structured wine with plenty of firm acidity." Sounds good. I probably would like it, especially with another 5 or 10 years of age.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Good choice, B. It is painful to plunk down that kind of money for anything less than a special occasion. And I'm with you on the high alcohol levels. I never used to pay attention to that, but now I always check. Anything above 14.8 or so is simply not enjoyable for me - it's too "hot" - can't drink much of it. I find that high-alcohol wines make me feel headachy and slow.

[jens]

I admire that you stuck with your priciples, but why not go out and find another wine?

[corkdork]

I too, was in a bit of a rush to get this month's WBW bottle, but had better luck at the Wine House on Carolina between 16th&17th. I found a beautiful Carignane for 14-ish dollars and was told they had "tons" of wine that were less than 250 cases of yield. A lot of them were French, so I was unfamiliar with the yield on each of those, but John Carpenter, the owner, is able to help. I highly recommend them, I've been a customer for 15 years...CD

[pamela mahan]

Hi. I was given a bottle of Samsara 2005....any description, good year, what food to serve with it, etc. to share? Thank you.