2006 Rosenblum Yolo County Syrah - Rominger Vineyard

A few weeks ago I took my mom to the Rosenblum Cellars tasting room in Alameda because it's only a few minutes from my home, and she wanted to visit some wineries during her trip here. The people at Rosenblum are pretty laid back and they have a good variety of wines to try, though they are most known for their Zinfandels.

Somehow I got talked into joining the wine club ("it's free! plus you get 30% off all purchases today!" basically sold me). After tasting several wines, including the reserve flight that normally would cost $8 a person but was free because I joined the wine club (and since they rotate those wines on a weekly basis, you'll know where I'll be stopping by most weekends) I ended up purchasing a bottle of the 2006 2006 Yolo County Syrah - Rominger Vineyard. Normally priced at $25, I got it for about $17 with the discount.

The reason I picked that bottle out among the myriad choices was because I remember reading something about it getting a good score (I'm not a score-whore, but I've been on a Syrah kick lately, and when several places praise the same wine, my interest is peaked).

I opened this up a week later and poured it over several days. The wine appears dark as night in the glass, and the nose gave up scents of blackberries, anise, and on one night, I even detected something akin to Ju-Ju fruits.

In the mouth this thick, syrupy wine has notes of wild berries, chocolate, and had a mocha finish. Rosenblum describes this as their version of a Côte-Rôtie wine from Northern Rhone Valley. The wine is co-fermented with a bit of Viognier.

"Elements of plum and dark berry fruit mingle with floral notes as well as vanilla and cracked white pepper in the bouquet. Full-bodied, soft textures and distinct flavors abound on the palate," according to the Rosenblum site.

While I liked this wine, I wouldn't buy much more of it at $25 -- as you can get it for $12.99 at K&L. For that price, this wine is a super bargain, and I'd recommend getting a bottle to try at home. Much better than most bottles you're likely to encounter below $15.