Nichol Syrah (2005)

I'm posting this one from Phoenix, AZ. What am I doing here? It's a very long story, involving a work trip to DC, a thunder storm, and about 4 different attempts to get to Vancouver, which somehow ended with me doing an overnight stint in Phoenix, and my bag possibly, but not certainly, being in Goose Bay, Nfld. No BC food or wine to report on here. But, I did receive an email from Chris with the following tasting notes on one of the wines we bought on the Bench.

Nichol 2005 Syrah (www.nicholvineyard.com)

-notably, old world in style (the tell-tale "barn-yard" / earthy nose)
-yet noticable fruit & acid on the font end
-smooth finish, but with little or no tannin (as contrasted with Syncline;
you can really appreciate what the hotter WA summers add)
-Thus, the overall impression is of something much lighter than Syrah
-actually much better the next day. Still not at all tannic, but mid-mouth flavours rounded out with a recognizable hint of tobacco

The other wine he mentions, Syncline (synclinewine.com), is one we tried on a trip to Hood River, Oregon, last summer, and which I really loved. (Unfortunately, I can’t remember which of their two syrahs it was that we bought. They are quite different as I recall.)

Chris did also comment on the price of Nichol wines. Nichol reds are often a little lower in price than many other similar quality BC reds, and so relatively a better value.