Owen Roe Lady Rosa Syrah 2012 –

$39.99 per bottle

Tasting Notes: Sleek and subtle, this understated wine atypical of a Syrah is very dark in color and has aromas of oak with hints of raspberries. Full of blackberry flavor with blueberry and cherry mixed in, very subtle and pleasant hints of spice with a bit of smoked meat. Body has well structured tannin with a Medium long finish.

Pairing: Leg of Lamb with roasted potatoes

From Owen Roe Winery:

“Owen Roe O’Neill was a seventeenth century Irish Patriot, who dedicated his life to upholding the highest principles of political equality and freedom. His commitment to great things makes him an ideal model for us at Owen Roe, for we share his dedication to principle in our work to produce the wines of Owen Roe. At Owen Roe we do not compromise: only the best is good enough.Jerry Owen, on the the vineyard side, and David O’Reilly, who makes the wine, have formed Owen Roe with a simple purpose: to produce excellent wines from grapes grown and cultivated in the best vineyards in the Pacific Northwest. We have selected top quality grapes from vineyards chosen because they are in areas that ripen fruit fully, and the fruit has excellent acidity and ph balance. These vineyards are in the Willamette, Mid-Columbia, Yakima, and Walla Walla valleys. Each vineyard is contracted by the acre, with strict controls on yields and vine development. The same high principles are found in the winery. We allow only minimal handling, racking by gravity, and excellent cooperage. From the fruit to the bottle, cork, and label, Owen Roe aims for the very best.

Each of the sites we work with are tendered by true craftsmen of the viticultural trade. The principle of good earth stewardship is very important to everyone we work with, so no herbicides or pesticides are used in our vineyards.”

 

Yakima Valley, WA:

As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles. The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.

 

Syrah Grapes:

Syrah grapes, known as Shiraz in Australia, produce full-bodied, long-lived, fruit forward wines. Syrah flavors and aromas include peppers, berries, currants, and even chocolate but also gamey flavors such as smoked meat and earthy flavors such as tobacco. Traditional Syrah originated in France’s Rhone valley and their use in wines is traced back to the Romans and Greeks. In the Northern Rhone Syrah is typically bottled as a single varietal such as in Hermitage, the Cote Rotie or Cornas. In the Southern Rhone it typically takes a backseat to Grenache as a blending grape such as in Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas.  Syrah wines have some of the strongest, most distinctive flavors and aromas of any red wine.