Wine Experience: Syrah Showcase

Black Ankle Vineyards

Syrah Showcase

EXPERIENCE

Phyllite = Leaf-Stone --> Syrah. Phyllite is a type of metamorphic rock found all over Black Ankle's property and is the rock beneath their Syrah vines. Phyllite gets its name from the Greek word for 'leaf,' which is why they call it Leaf-Stone. For many a wine nerd, the effect of soil on a wine can be a contentious matter. I’m not going to get into that here, as it appears Black Ankle is using the terms to separate expressions of their Syrah, as they grow it in four different blocks across their 57 acres of plantings. Emphasizing the differences of terroir even within their ‘small’ property showcases the care and bespoke experience one can expect at Black Ankle. We witnessed this firsthand during their Syrah Showcase event, in which Black Ankle provided us with four Syrah wines: two current releases and two from their library.

A Tale of Two Syrah's: Although winemaking techniques and subtle differences from growing in different areas of the vineyard affect the flavor, so does the varietal clone. Black Ankle grows two Syrah clones, 877 and 383. They are the same grape, but there are differences in the way they express their DNA. They will ripen at different times and produce slightly different phenolic makeups. They will make different wines. We can’t know how much of each clone is in each wine as that information is not on the labels. It’s fun to know, but honestly, if you enjoy the wine, it doesn’t really matter, does it? This fact does play a role in the Showcase, and I’ll bring that up when I get to it. So let me tell you about the wines:

2015 Phyllite

A 100% Syrah wine, fermented in stainless steel and aged for 18 months in oak barrels. It still shows the characteristic aromas and flavors of dark fruits, earth, and hints of tobacco. As it has aged, it has started developing the savory notes that are so desired in wines from this grape. However, even as it has aged, it still presents as fresh, even a little tart. Black Ankle’s vintage drinkability chart indicates that it's fine to drink now, but still has time to reach maturity, and I agree completely. This wine will only get better as it ages.

The wine doesn’t come across as medium-high acid. Time in barrel (malolactic fermentation) has rounded out the sharp edges. Add in the element of time in bottle, and the medium-intensity tannins are also soft and well-integrated. The wine is dry with alcohol coming in at 12.6%. It is medium-bodied and pairs well with foods that are not too acidic.

2016 Leaf-Stone

The 2016 Leaf-Stone has many of the same structural components as the 2015 Phyllite. A rounded, medium-high acidity; tannins that are soft, well-integrated, but a little more noticeable as it dried out my mouth and gums more than the 2015. This could have resulted from better conditions for ripening, or maybe the winemakers kept the juice on the skins and seeds a little longer and more tannin was extracted.

On the palate though… wow! It’s different. It’s got earth, smoke, oak, pepper, dark fruits, spice, even a little eucalyptus. The flavors aren’t overwhelming, so it will still pair well with food. It was my favorite wine from the Showcase. It made me feel like I was at a campfire in the best ways.

2021 Leaf-Stone

This expression is for all those people that like tart fruit. It tastes of tart cherry, hints of dark fruit, and vanilla (maybe from the new oak in which some of the wine was aged). It’s dry, medium-bodied, and the tannins build in your mouth. It tastes of tart, youthful fruit, but the acid isn’t intense, which allows the wine to taste rather juicy. Compared to the 2021 Syrah, it tastes like the winemakers wanted to highlight the fruit characteristics over the earthy flavors that are extracted through pressings and extended extraction. This wine, of the four, smelled the fruitiest and paired the best with something sweet. That being said, I would not drink it alongside anything very sweet.

2021 Syrah

The 2021 Syrah was the first wine poured during the Showcase. Compared to the 2021 Leaf-Stone, one might initially think that the two wines are not the same grape. Remember earlier when I mentioned that there are two clones of the Syrah grape that grow on the property? The differences between the two make me think this is how the clones express themselves differently. Again, the structural components are similar. The wine is medium-bodied, medium tannin, and medium acid. The acid is sharper in its youth and the tannins are still bitter and present on the gums.

The wine expresses aromas and flavors that are more savory than the Leaf-Stone. I get red fruit, pepper, smoke, and vanilla. This wine feels like it will get more savory as it gets older. It tastes young and would most likely only get better with age.