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[TN] '01 Io Syrah

Tonight, Jean cooked another batch of her venison-black bean chili for consumption while watching Purdue's basketball team play its first match in the Big Ten tournament. I have a near-Pavlovian response of Syrah with venison, so I opened a bottle of:

2001 Io "Upper Bench" Syrah Santa Maria Valley nose: cedar, dark berry fruit, initially a tad medicinal, slightly meaty palate: deep fruit, balanced acidity, medium-full body

I am fairly sure that this wine saw some new oak in its elevage, but at

9 years of age that oak has been fully integrated into the wine and is only perceptible as cedar in the nose and in the rich mouthfeel. In all, a very satisfying California Syrah, neither overripe nor overly alcoholic and an outstanding match for the chili, which brought the fruit out of the wine.

Mark Lipton

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Mark Lipton
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Venison and Syrah is certainly on my list of great matches. Was the chili spicy? Sometimes I find that the heat of the wine can react harshly with the spicy peppers in chili so latelyy I've been drinking a lot of beer with my chili. Go Bucks!

Reply to
Bi!!

That last second shot by Turner most likely cements his case for nat'l POTY (IMO). If, as expected, both teams advance to the final tomorrow, Bill, should we have a friendly wager on the outcome? ;-)

The chili wasn't terribly spicy, precisely for the purpose of making it more wine-friendly. I've also got an anomalously high tolerance to chili heat, so I'm an outlier regardless. Not that there would be any problem having a beer with this dish, though.

Mark Lipton

Reply to
Mark Lipton

I have a high "heat" tolerance for spicy foods but I find that tannic or high alcohol wines tend to be a bit much. Lately I've been making a venison chili in more of a ragout style just to serve with syrah, grenache and sangiovese wines.

If OSU and Purdue make it....you're on! A unique wine, losers choice.

Reply to
Bi!!

After that first half, Bill, it's pretty much a moot point: as ugly a half of Purdue b-ball as I can recall, including a disastrous blowout in Columbus a decade or so ago. :(

Mark Lipton

Reply to
Mark Lipton

Interesting. I always think Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo when I think of venison.

If I were going with Syrah, I'd probably opt for a Northern Rhone.

Given that the venison wound up in chili, though, the choice of a colonial version was apt. ;-)

Reply to
Bill S.

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