Smoking Loon Syrah

Smoking Loon
Syrah
California
2010
Price unknown

"The smell of smoke and butterscotch with hints of mango. A taste of ripe plumb, oak, with a nice hint of sweet butter. A full silky body, that finishes very well. This wine is a joy to the senses. A great wine for smoked meats, Olives, Strong Cheeses, and Breads"

I'm realizing that I've tasted a lot of wines this semester. Like, an incredible amount. I don't think that I didn't taste this many before, except for that these days, I'm really noticing it. For example, this wine was at a poster symposium that I attended, but instead of just guzzling it to forget how boring old dudes in academia are, I took notice of the taste.

This syrah was fiercly peppery to the nose, and even had a slight hint of vanilla. Once tasted, it even had some hints of tomato (umami?!). It had a lot of tannin flavor, but remained balanced. I couldn't help but think that decanting would have helped this wine out a great deal. I liked that I thought I could taste some hints of grassyness and barnyard hay on the finish. It made it more interesting. I made it through the symposium alive. After reading through the wine description tonight from a site, I don't think I tasted any of those things. Certainly not butterscotch or mango.

*I keep forgetting to comment on the color of wine! I will try harder next time.