Sometimes a wine is so good, you just have to bite the bullet and pay shipping if it isn’t readily available in your area. The Bridlewood Central Coast Syrah, Reserve 2004 is one of those wines. Another option is to ask a local retailer to order and stock it.
This Bridlewood Syrah is a lovely wine, with a soft fruity flavor and rich, silky mouth feel. The California winemakers at Bridlewood Winery employed the French name of the grape–Syrah–rather than the Australian name for the same grape–Shiraz. That signifies something about the wine style. While the Australians call this same grape by the name “Shiraz,” the Syrah grape comes originally from the Rhone Valley in France. There it is used to make spicy, and often earthy, wines that are in some ways less exotic and more delicate than the Australian Shiraz, but no less delicious. This one blends Syrah, Tannat, Petite Syrah, and Viognier in a blend that again represents a much more French approach than an Australian one. In contrast, the Aussies often use blends that include the Bordeaux grape of Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine offers balanced flavors of blackberry, plum, and spice. It has hints of earth, but those are very subtle–more subdued than what one might get from a Rhone wine. It is available online from various places with prices ranging from about $15-$22. Deals are to be found on WineChateau.com and the SuperWineWarehouse.com. You can also use Wine Searcher to find it, where the average price is $17.
