It seems that every year summertime just flies by. But the summer of 2011 feels like the shortest ever.
With the snow lasting until April and all the rain this year, it was a short, wet summer. And now it's just about gone for good. The calendar says the Autumnal Equinox is on September 23rd but school has started and the cooler nights are upon us. Life is crazy busy.
One of the pluses to the end of summer (other than the kids being at school all day) is that it's the perfect time for drinking big, red wine again. Now I drink them all year long, especially with steaks on the grill. But it's just not the same when drinking a fine Cabernet, and it's 80 degrees in the shade. The fall is my favorite time for big reds. And lately I've been in a Washington State state of mind!
I recently had two of our best wines from the state of Washington. An incredibly pleasing Cabernet, and of course what they are doing better every year - great Syrah! I've had a handful of Washington Syrah's lately, but this one has become a favorite: 2008 Reynvaan In The Rocks Syrah (95 RP, $48.99). At first I was a little worried, as the nose has some amazing strawberry and lavender notes, almost like Pinot Noir. My only concern was that it would be a little lighter than I was looking to drink. Well, once in the mouth, those worries were put to rest. This wine is big, not in a monolithic, one-dimensional way, but with big, lush fruit with plenty of balance and depth. The finish was nice and long with just a hint of smokiness.
Like the air on a crisp soon-to-be autumn night.
See you summer - hello Syrah!