Barrel 27 - Right Hand Man Syrah - 2012

Barrel 27 - Right Hand Man Syrah - 2012
Central Coast, California

Nose: Dark cherry, red raspberry, cocoa.

Palate: Ripe raspberry, dark cherry, black tea, orange zest, soft tannins

Color: Dark purple throughout, nearly opaque.

Normally this isn't my style of wine: big, rich, robust, a quintessential "New-World juicy flavors" kind of wine with high alcohol. In fact this beast is listed at 15.2% abv, which means this wine could even be well over 16% abv; typically a huge turn off for me. But Im very surprised by the 2012 Right Hand Man Syrah, because it is well balanced with perfectly integrated fruit, a nice backbone of glycerin, and bursting with flavor. The acidity is bright and balanced, and the tannins are smooth and supple.

The fruit is clean and shows tons of layers. I gotta say this wine really delivers great flavors and wonderful balance all around. Im glad the winemaker chose to make this bombastic syrah in this style, and not to create a sort of mimic blend based on European regions, such as Cote-Rotie. It's nice to see this wine's individuality which allowed the extremely ripe grapes to really burst with flavor on the palate. I wish this wine showed a little more expression on the nose, as its slightly subdued at room temperature. With this much flavor on the palate I expected more pronounce aromas. Yet

I also wish I had some chocolate right now, because this wine is screaming for a sweet paring. Im just one glass deep and Im already starting to feel the buzz, but I'm still surprised that it still doesn't taste boozy or hot. Bring this juice bomb to your next holiday gathering and get granny lit-up on a glass or two, she needs to get her crunk on!

Price to quality wise I would give the Right Hand Man a B+, it definitely brings a lot to the table and demonstrates quality wine-making at a reasonable price. It's not an everyday wine for my bank account, but it won't make you go broke either. Ultimately, if you like really big, juicy wines, then you will love this. For those looking for a more subtle and delicate wine, you should be ready to get kicking in the teeth with this one.

This wine is ready to drink now or within the next couple of years. The soft, smooth tannins and the rich, ripe fruit will not improve with age. This is a buy-now, drink-now kind of wine.

Retail Cost: $21 

Distributed by: Mariner Beverages

Galen's Score: 91 points

Commanderie de Peyrassol Rose 2008

Domaine: Commanderie de Peyrassol
Country: France
Region: Cotes de Provence
Vintage: 2008
Style: Rose
Grapes: Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre
Declared Alcohol (on label): 12.5%
Approximate Price: $20/bottle
Date Reviewed: 6/19/2009
Reviewed By: Galen Ricci

Appearance:
Clear with a medium intensity. The wine had a very salmon color with orange highlights. The rim had a slight watery edge, but the color advanced almost completely to the edge of the rim. The wine had average moving, watery colored legs, which could indicate a dry wine with medium alcohol.

Nose:
A very clean nose, no detection of faults or oxidization. The intensity of aromas was medium, and the development was very youthful. The Aromas included: Strawberry, Red Raspberry, Watermelon, Roses, a slight smokiness (possibly from the minerality).

Palate:
The wine was dry on the palate, the acidity was medium, and there were no perceivable tannins. The alcohol was medium, and the body had a medium weight. The flavor intensity was medium, with characteristics of: Rose Water, Watermelon, Fresh Strawberry, Fresh Red Raspberry, Light Red Apple, Wet Stone, and a very little bit of bubble gum. The length was medium to medium + and continually evolved.

Conclusions:
The quality was very good (better than good, but not quite outstanding). As for price category this a midpriced French rose. This wine is ready to drink now and should not sit much longer than 1-2 years on a shelf.

Authors Notes:
This was one of the best roses, I dare say, I have ever had! It is elegant, beautiful and filled with character. It has amazing balance and layers of fruit and minerality all supported by near perfect acidity. Ive tasted roses in the same price point that are no where near as interesting, refined or balanced. This would go perfectly with many foods such as cheeses, fish, light chicken dishes, but I would love to pair this wine with a blackened seafood dish (yes this is the street and co side of me). I would venture to say that 99 out of 100 people would call this a really good wine, and those who have tasted a few roses would say this is a great wine. I highly suggest people seek out this wine and try it! Im thinking about scoring wines, so I might as well start now. I would give this wine 92+ points.

I tasted this wine about an hour later and found that the same characteristics still prevailed, but a slight creaminess started to develop, which really piqued my interest. Im not exactly sure if some percentage of the juice had some malo-lactic fermentation, but as the wine had some exposure with oxygen it really became more rich with almost a medium + body. A real rockstar of a wine and something I would highly suggest, especially for first time rose drinkers.