Christopher Creek Winery
2007 Reserve Syrah
Syrah
California: Sonoma County: Russian River Valley
Mission Briefing
The Earth Mother
2007 Vintage Alert: Today’s wine hails from the 96 Point 2007 vintage. Northern California wines from this vintage are highly prized - and increasingly difficult to find. If you are a fan of fantastic Syrah, please accept this wine with our boldest recommendation.
Today’s 2007 Christopher Creek Reserve Syrah is a remarkable, superb, superior wine that caused quite a stir at our recent tasting panel, where we carefully vet every wine that we showcase.
On opening, this wine gave off a distinctly funky aroma. We almost passed on the wine, but our Agent Red wanted to give the wine a little time. We poured the wine into a decanter, subjected it to a hearty round of swirling, and set it aside. An hour later, the wine had transformed! The funk was gone and it had become, well, incredible!
This delicious wine is a Syrah-lover’s dream and we hope that you get to experience it for yourself.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Very dark and slightly opaque, with dark garnet hues at the core and pretty ruby at the edges. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Dark and funky - but only at first! After some hearty swirling, this wine is transformed, revealing dark fruit mixed with forest floor and a wet minerality. Stewed fruits of plum, blackberry and cassis take the lead. Smoked and dry cured meats add an intriguing undertone. |
| Taste: | Soft and supple on entry, this wine shows dark compote rather than fresh fruits. Dark berry compote, forest floor, clay soil, dried mushroom, cured meats and dried berry fruit coat the palate. |
| Finish: | At the very end, a hint of black pepper coats the back of the palate and the upper throat. Dried berry, cured meats and earth persist for a very long time. |
| Pairing: | A flash seared filet with a farm fresh Béarnaise sauce made with thinly sliced shallots that have been soaked in a few ounces of this wine. |