I recently brought a Keipersol Vineyards 2001 Syrah to a blind tasting group that I TRY to attend once a week. We were instructed to bring any major red grape varietal, and being the procrastinator I am... put off and put off going to the wine store to buy a bottle for the tasting. I ended up pulling something from my own cellar (read - living room) and discovered I had a bottle of Texan wine from 3-4 years ago when I was visiting my parents in Houston. I had dismissed the bottle as anything even slightly good and I brought it as a lark to the tasting... even offering 10 bucks if someone could correctly identify its origin.
The joke was on me. The Kiepersol Syrah turned out to be the favorite of the tasting group. With it's smoky aromas and notes of leather, raspberry, spice and barnyard - everyone declared it old world. The palate had more spice, and hints of cherry and long finish. Definitely France, they said - most likely Rhone Valley.
When the Texan label was revealed we were all floored. No one received the 10 dollars... but for such a sophisticated wine - 10 dollars wasn't much more than what I paid for it. I even bought it at the supermarket! It wasn't more than $15! This could stand up to the weightiest steak and after doing a little research - Keipersol also sells cattle - that seems to be what they're aiming for.
This was also their second vintage. Their Syrah is obviously age-worthy. The next time I'm in Texas -- I'll take a trip up to Tyler (near Dallas) and visit them!
1 comment:
Ooh, Barnyard. Where can I get me some Kiepersol Syrah? I wonder what a bottle of the 2001 fetches today.
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