CC Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2013
No longer available
I've had this wine downstairs for quite a number of years now. It's a favourite of mine, and got quite a lot of attention when it was released, including a Lieutenant Governor's award. This was my last bottle of the vintage and fairly recently, the gentleman who owned the winery and made the wine, passed away.
I met Chris Jentsch when I first started in the wine industry. It was one of my first big tastings and i was alone and quite nervous. My table to set up next to his and his warm welcome and presence throughout the evening, kicked that anxiety to the curb. He was as lovely as a person could be and we had a fantastic event. I always had a tremendous amount of respect for him as he was so kind, and so humble while producing renowned Okanagan wines.
When i heard of his passing I knew the world and the industry, lost someone special. The winery decided to close it's doors as the heart of it was gone. I knew it was time to raise a glass of this bottle I'd been saving and I am so glad that I did.
Velvety, deep ruby red in the glass, the edges were starting to show slight brick colouration, showing the age of the wine. The fruit burst forth on the nose, namely blueberry jam, dark cherry and blackberry, with notes of black pepper, cardamom and violet. It was medium + bodied on the palate, with tannins so smooth that the wine had weight almost without realizing they were there. Flavours of jammy blackberry, blueberry and those delicious sour cherries you use in good black forest cake were pronounced. The undertones of black pepper, cinnamon and even a hint of dry sage added beautiful complexity. It was the best I've had in a long time.
We opened it while camping on the Sunshine Coast. Our tradition with our friends is a steak night together one of the evenings we are away, and we opened it on that night in Porpoise Bay. The simply seasoned steak, garlicky mushrooms and kale Caesar salad were a lighter version of a classic steak dinner and the wine was just perfect.
While this wine isn't available any longer, get your hands on some good Okanagan Syrah and hang onto it a while if you can. It's worth the wait.
Tag @crushfoodandwine on Instagram if you give it a try!
Cheers!
xo
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