Tasting - Waterbrook Syrah

Name: Waterbrook
Variety: Syrah
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country: United States
Year: 2015
Price: $12.59

Winery Review:  Pleasing aromas of marionberry, cocoa and spice are followed by lightly styled but still palate-coating fruit flavors. A velvety texture heightens the appeal, with fruit and barrel flavors lingering on the finish.

My Review: This week I decided to try two wines that are favorites of my family. Syrah is my father-in-law's favorite type of wine. We invited them over for brunch and I paired the meal with this wine. When I first opened the wined and sniffed it, I smelled plums and it was surprisingly sweet. My previous encounters with Syrah weren't so fabulous, so I didn't expect a lot out of this. When I tasted it right after opening, it have a very spicy taste and made my tongue tingle. It immediately sucked all the moisture out of my mouth and tasted like sawdust. It was unpleasant to say the least.

I decanted the wine and let it sit out for about two hours before brunch started. When I sniffed it this time, I still smelled plums, but now could detect a faint trace of blackberries and wet wood type smell. When I tasted it by itself, it was still spicy, but a lot smoother. No sawdust taste remained.

For brunch that day we had smoked salmon, fancy cheese and a variety of fruit. It paired well with the salmon, but I would say it needs a fattier meet to really balance out the tart taste. I also, weird as it may sound, ate some pepperoni with it and it was surprisingly delicious. It brought out the spicy of the wine, but in a good way. The cheese I like most with it was the really sharp cheddar. The tang of the cheese perfectly complimented the harsh sourness of the wine. It was a really great match. And finally, the fruit that I liked most with this wine would be raspberries. It brought out the sweet notes and had for a more pleasant finish.

Overall, I have a new respect for this wine. I wasn't a fan before, but it's warming up on me. I would say that it was worth the $12 to try this wine. However, I would probably want to try it with something a little more hearty than brunch next time as to cut down on the overpowering flavor this wine brings with it.