Product Review
The 2004 Syrah Reva is classic in style, with its iodine, olive and salty, marine-like character front and center. Coming from the gravelly, sandy clay loam soils on the estate, it shows more textbook Syrah character with air (very northern Rhone-like) and has first rate complexity, gorgeous dark fruit and brilliant overall purity. Showing almost no evolution, with full-bodied richness, fine tannin and a balanced, fresh and lengthy profile, it will continue to drink beautifully for another decade or more.
The two Grenache based efforts both come from the original Grenache plantings on the estate which, according to John, were put in because he didn’t know what to do with the vines and was trying to build up cuttings. Moving to the Syrahs, each comes from specific soil types and is named after a family member, with the Reva named after John’s Mother, the Lorraine after his wife, and Seymour’s after his father. All of the Syrahs spend close to 42 months in oak
Depending on where it's grown and how it's made, the variety has two names. In France, where it goes by Syrah, it makes a huge contribution to the red wines of the Rhone Valley. In the southern Rhone villages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras it is blended with a number of varieties but mainly Grenache. It is in the northern Rhone, including Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage,Côte-Rôtie, St. Joseph, where it most often stands out on its own, and is only occasionally blended with the region's white grapes. More recently, in the late 20th Century, Shiraz has put Australian producers such as Penfolds and d’Arenberg on the fine wine map, with cult wines like "Grange" and "The Dead Arm". Generally speaking, the style from the old world is more savoury, expressing aromas of pepper, cured meat and leather. The hotter climate experienced in Australia results in more upfront, dense and even jammy fruit. The grape has also taken off with rapid success in California and Washington, as well as South Africa and New Zealand. Producers in these regions often name their varietal wines according to the style they intend.
California is one of the most diverse wine producing regions of the world. Although it has a history spanning over 200 years, it has experienced most of its growth in the last fifty years. The regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County have become as renowned as France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy. While Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay are by far the most popular fine wine varieties, producers in the Golden State have also experimented with an unparalleled array of diverse varieties, including Zinfandel, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo.
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Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
