|
2003 Pourquoi Pas Syrah
Sometimes great endeavors have humble origins. During a shamefully bad bowling game at the 1998 Hospice du Rhône (Rhône n' Bowl), renowned French winemaker Pierre Gaillard and I formed a lasting friendship and the seeds of a wild idea. Like many of the best ideas, it was quite simple - we would blend some of Pierre's Northern Rhône syrah with one of my JC Cellars syrahs to create a unique wine embodying two winemaking traditions and two terroirs.
When I first suggested the idea to Pierre, his response was simply, "Pourquoi pas." After a few moments he added, "Anything is possible." It is in that spirit that we have approached the careful creation of this special wine. In 2001, Pierre and I first blended his best St. Joseph from Clos de Cuminaille and my Ventana Syrah to create an extremely small allotment of JC Cellars Cuvée Gaillard. To our knowledge, this wine was the first mix of Rhône and California syrah. An amazing learning experience, Cuvée Gaillard helped us to refine the complexities of long distance winemaking, while at the same time yielding a wine with a great aromatics and flavors. Thrilled with the results, Pierre and I decided to take the idea to the next level.
In 2003, the Rhône Valley had one of its hottest vintages ever and as a result offered some of the most outrageously intense wines I have ever tasted. Even though the crops were very low (about one quarter the normal amount), Pierre was still game to part with some of his precious wine. We began shipping each other samples, putting together blends and communicating by phone. In the end we decided that my Rockpile Syrah was the perfect dancing partner for Pierre's Cote Rozier from Cote Rôtie. The combination has produced an amazing wine.
~ ~ ~
| Varietals: |
100% Syrah |
| Appellation: |
58% Rockpile and 42% Côte Rôtie, France |
| Alcohol: |
14.7% |
| Comments: |
By intertwining the floral and game elements from Pierre's Côte Rozier Vineyard with Rockpile Vineyard's minerality and masculinity, Pourquoi Pas achieves something altogether harmonious and new - as if the two wines not only complement each other but also bring out each other's strengths. Full, rich and round, this is a wine to get lost in. Smoked meat, roasted herbs de Provence, crushed minerals and the essence of blackberries and cassis.
|
| Reviews: |
Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate: 89+ points
Jeff Cohn (Maryland-born, I'm proud to say) is well known as the winemaker for Rosenblum Cellars, but he also produces a bevy of high octane, gorgeous reds under his own label. His most innovative creation is the non-vintage Pourquoi Pas (125 cases), a blend of Syrah from the Côte Rozier Vineyard of Côte Rôtie and Syrah from Sonoma's Rockpile Vineyard. The wine's dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a big, spicy nose of roasted meats, blackberries, cassis, and hints of licorice as well as toasty oak. Medium-bodied and pure with fine structure, decent acidity, and serious concentration, it should age nicely for a decade.
|
| Price: |
$135 |
|
|
