From the bottle, this Syrah is made from grapes grown in the California (specifically in Dry Creek Valley). This syrah is Rhone-styled and is 14.8% alcohol by volume.

Where did I find it: Costco in Santa Rose, CA

What did I pair it with: Various meats and cheeses

Appearance: Very dark purple with deep purple legs – the wine has teeth!

Smell: Barnyard, coffee, earth, and cola.

Palate Entry: It starts out with sour strawberries and white pepper
Mid Palate: Then the tannins kick in…the wine is still too young to tell what’s going on because the tannins are masking the fruit and spices I think I’m tasting
Finish: The finish was pretty tannic, but is long and drying.

Price: $24.95
Quality rating: 87/100
Value rating: 45.50/60

Takeaway: This wine is pretty tannic and very dry, but not overly complex. It does pair very well, but isn’t a good stand-alone wine at this age. Another few years should do it well in the maturation process, to smooth out some of those tannins and bring the mid-palate forward. Overall, it could be interesting in a few years, but isn’t much of a value play.