2004 Fairview Syrah vs. 2004 Fairview Syrah
In the first head-to-head of one my wines against it's commercial counterpart, apparently mine stands up nicely.
Sasha, Frank (Sasha's neighbour) and I tasted the Eno 2004 Fairview Syrah and the Truffle Pig 2004 Fairview Syrah last night in a blind tasting. These were vinified together, but went their separate ways after being pressed -- mine into a 15-gallon stainless steel tank, the Eno into a 3-year old Francois Frere 60-gallon barrel. The Eno is 100% Syrah, the Truffle Pig was blended with 4% Viognier from the Suisun Valley. The Eno was bottled within the last month; the Truffle Pig was bottled last January and cellared until now. The Eno went through a full malolactic fermentation, the Truffle Pig did not.
There was across-the-board consensus on the results:
Eno -- greater in clarity, a nice ruby colour; nose of burnt toast significantly masked any fruit aromatics; a nice round mouthfeel and a smooth finish.
Truffle Pig -- cloudy clarity; the Viognier adds significantly to the aromatics, giving it a full, rich bouquet; much thinner on the palate, with a distinctly sharper finish that is somewhat lengthened due to higher acidity.
The conclusion -- the Eno is a more refined and balanced wine, but the aromatics of the Truffle Pig win by a landslide. The Eno has a fuller, richer taste and finish while the Truffle Pig is a tad thin and "sharp."
What we learned -- you definitely have to age this Syrah in Oak in order to round out the wine and give it some depth. A blend with 4% Viognier adds significantly to the aromatics of the Fairview fruit and should be considered for future vintages. Make sure we achieve full ML fermentation.