An "organic" wine from the Rhone valley, this one was very different from all the wines I have posted thus far. In addition, it is non-filtered, which made this one a bit more interesting.
First sniff --lots of berries, perhaps blackberries, with some green grass in the background. The color tone was dark red (nothing like I have seen before). First swirl, wow, full-body and fairly spicy. It also seemed the tannins were a bit strong. Second sniff -- may sound a bit weird, but I was getting some hint of milk (is that possible?). Okay, well the second swirl, seemed green and young. Flavors of berries were prominent -- slightly sour for my liking. The balance was okay, however this syrah was very different than ones I have drunk before. Perhaps it is the "organic" part of the wine, or maybe the "non-filter" component (I am not really sure).
I purchased this one from Ebisu Gardens, Wine Market store. I am going to give this one 3 stars. Very unique wine, but not my all time favorite. It's a decent bottle that would be great with a meat dish. When I finished the bottle, I had some sludge in my glass -- first for me!
Summary: Full-body, Syrah. Fairly green and rich.
Rating: 3 Stars
Purchase Cost: Y1,606 (Ebisu Gardens, Wine Market Store)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y1,512 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $13.95
Food: Mexican soup
