Château Routas Cyrano 2001

[Thraz]

VDP du Var, 100% syrah, 13%, $14 at Spec's.

I liked this a lot. Very dark red, complex nose that I would not know how to describe except maybe for some forest floor - although I'm not sure about that either. The palate was really interesting: not as elegant and restrained as a northern Rhone, but not as exuberant as an Australian - somewhere inbetween. I was not able to place a particular fruit except to say it would be black fruit rather than red. Very nice, teeth-covering tannins and good length. A good value.

Incidentally the back label says that the name Cyrano was given because of the wine's great nose. I'm not sure I would be that enthusiastic but it is nice.

I looked up the Coteaux Varois legislation (because of course, there is a piece of legislation just for Coteaux Varois) to try to figure out why this is a VDP and not an AOC. I could find at least one obvious reason: to get the appellation, a wine must be a mix of at least two of the allowed grapes (for red wines there are three primary grapes and three secondary grapes allowed). Syrah is a primary allowed grape but it would have to be maximum 99% syrah and at least 1% one of the other grapes to qualify.

[This message has been edited by Thraz (edited 07-26-2006).]

[brappy]

Interesting; Sounds more grenache by the description than syrah (black fruits vs red fruits). Are you more in favor of Rhone style or Aussie style? Just curious...

[Thraz]

Definitely northern rhone as a preference, although I do like some aussies.

I often detect blackberry in syrah, esp. the fruitier ones, but that may be just me.

[Scoop]

Blackberry/black fruit is a Syrah signature, and one big reason why I like the grape so much -- love them blackberries. In fact, just over my property line upstate is a huge bramble, teeming with wild black raspberries and blackberries. Like a bear going for the honey, I brave the thorns, heat, flies, my neighbors wrath and, most dangerously, the deer ticks, to fill up buckets bound for fresh summer cobblers!

Cheers,

Scoop