You can’t have it both ways.
Mom said it. Your professors said it, most often on those days you struggled through an exam following dollar pitcher night. Perhaps even a judge, marriage counselor or other vaguely frightening authority figure might have mentioned it, as well.
Go ahead and heed their guidance, settle into a creased pair of khakis. You will miss out on the stunning 2012 Obsidian Ridge Syrah.
You see, by their rules, this wine cannot exist. It is primal and muscular, unleashing a horde of dark fruits across your palate. As it flexes, churlish aromas fume from the glass. Yet when it speaks, those poring through lists of Nobel and Pulitzer contenders take notice.
A swirl of the glass roils heavy blackberry jam, with a thread of cassis yearning to soar from its mass. But big, brooding aromas soon settle the flightier spirit, as dark chocolate, French roast coffee and smoked vanilla wallow into the berries. It calls for a leather chair framed by stained hardwoods — at least at first glance.
Before the aromas even threatens to sulk, however, the wine reveals more of that spirited edge. Sparks fly from cracked black pepper. Lush red fruit lifts from the vale, along with a mellow fringe of toasted wood.
There is a lot to decipher. But there is also that promise of rich berries.
That wealth of blackberry jam and juicy cassis is impossible to contain. It spills over onto your palate, gaining intensity as loam, coffee and bittersweet chocolate emerge. The initial impression is of a bold, generous, fruit forward wine. Again, however, the Obsidian Ridge Syrah begins to show nuance.
Hints of smoky bacon and black pepper rise, picking up on a fresh herbal quality. A bright cherry note flutters around the edges for a moment before the finish, which is long and opulent — like savoring coffee beans draped in chocolate.
The rich berry flavor never relents, even as all of this is vying for your attention. It’s a memorable experience.
Winemaker Alex Beloz and the team at Obsidian Ridge matched the varietal to a plot of volcanic soil perched high in the red hills. They mature it in Hungarian oak from the famed Tokaj forest, 60 percent of it new. The combination of terroir and cooperage yields a wine that repeatedly earns high ratings from the critics.
Yet the 2012 Obsidian Ridge Syrah remains on the young side. Given the contemplative nature, teetering balance and firm structure apparent in each sip, the wine is several years from peaking.
So buy it now, tuck it in storage and try to ignore its siren call. Or buy two, and pop one open now.
After all, the old warning hold no sway. You can have it both ways.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
