Wine School Worden Hill Syrah Vertical Tasting, January 28, 2014

Worden Hill Vertical

Theme:
I was very excited to host this wine school. About a year ago a wine club I belong to, Winderlea Vineyards in Oregon, offered a three bottle vertical of their “boutique” Syrah that they had been quietly producing with winemaker Robert Brittan. Wine club members were able to order a 2008, 2009, and 2010 sampling of this wine. I love the Chardonnays and Pinots that Winderlea makes, so I was very interested to see what they could do with the Syrah grape in the cool climate.

The Wines:
Worden Hill 2010 Syrah

• Color: Inky, purple-a bit lighter in color around the edge  
• Nose:  Very earthy, some pepper, most fruit of the three on the nose 
• Mouth:  More tartness and acidity than we were expecting for a Syrah. Reminds Mary Jo of a Smarty!
• Price:  $45

Worden Hill 2009 Syrah

• Color:  Inky 
• Nose:  Earthiness again on the nose, with oak and pepper
• Mouth:  Less acidic than the 2010 with more spice on the finish, fruit is a bit darker, more well balanced   
• Price:  $45

Worden Hill 2008 Syrah

• Color:  Inky, darkest purple of the three vintages 
• Nose:  The nose of this vintage was completely different, some smokiness and tar 
• Mouth:  Finish was a bit flat 
• Price:  $45

Overall Conclusion:  A definite thread of similarity in each of the vintages, but each wine had its own nuance. Hands down the favorite for all of us was the 2009 vintage. We also agreed that we prefer a warmer climate Syrah.
 
The Pairings:
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese:  Brought out fruit and balanced some of the tartness on the 2010 vintage, but overall we liked it best with the 2009 wine. Did not pair well with the ‘08.
Prairie Breeze Cheese:  Again it brought out some fruit and balanced the tartness of the 2010, but we enjoyed the most with the 2009-brought out the fruit and emphasized the spice on the finish.


French Cassoulet

Drunken Goat Cheese:  Do you see a theme-best with the 2009! The wine had enough body to handle the cheese and the spicy finish was great! Lisa says yum!
Smoked Sausage French Cassoulet:  The 2010 continues to taste a bit young but this dish did tamp down some of the tartness. It was much better with the 2009 and really improved the finish of the 2008. This was a first time recipe, so Beth was a bit nervous with how it would turn out, but we all enjoyed it. Thanks Dierberg’s Supermarket.
Godiva 72% Dark Chocolate:  This chocolate did not work at all with the 2008, was better with the other two vintages.
Lindt Dark Chili:  The chili in this chocolate paired better with the wines.

Conclusion:
Beth:  I was very excited to host this wine school because I love the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Winderlea. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed in these wines. I guess I like a warmer climate Syrah over the cooler climate style. Definitely enjoyed the 2009 vintage the most, pairing nicely with the food. Even if the wine didn’t live up to my expectations, the company definitely did!
Lisa:  I was really looking forward to our "special" wine class.  Vertical tastings are fun to experience the difference in the years especially when some years are better than others.  I think I liked the '09 best because the '08 may have been past it's prime and the '10 needed a little extra time? As for the pairings, the '09 was spot on with the cheeses and Beth's first attempt at the Smoked Sausage French Cassoulet was a winner! Even though we may not have been in love with all the wines, it won't stop me from trying  a vertical again!
Mary Jo:  We were all excited about this vertical tasting!  Obviously, Winderlea is synonymous with quality wines!  I believe we all agreed, however, that these cool climate Syrahs were not what we had expected.  We felt the best of the three wines was the 2009.  It paired the best with the food, even the Drunken Goat cheese.  The food was delicious and the wines certainly weren't "bad".  I think the three of us agreed that, for now, we prefer a warmer climate style Syrah.  Great class, and, as always, I enjoyed the evening of delicious food and wine with my good friends!

Cheers,
Beth