Spanish Syrah for the Hard-to-Shop-For
What do you get for the Syrah lover in your life this holiday season? Syrah of course. But it is always fun to surprise them with something that they haven’t had before. Now, unless you have access to their tasting notes you might not know what they have or haven’t tasted—but I’d wager there is an extremely low chance that they have tried the 2020 El Escoces Volante "Dos Dedos De Frente" Syrah Aragon $29.99 95WA from El Escoces Volante.
El Escoces Volante is one of the many exciting small producers in Spain who are exploring the old-vine heritage of the country. Those explorations led him to Aragon, where he purchased several small parcels. His day job is to travel around France and Spain, consulting. His vineyards are in an isolated corner outside of any major appellation, located south of Rioja and west of Campo de Borja.
Dos Dedos, or two fingers, refers to the tattooed fingers on the label of this wine. One finger with a “S” and the other a “V.” This is a Syrah-Viognier blend, a Côte-Rôtie blend. The wines from Côte-Rôtie are, especially if you love Syrah, a little like a Pegasus (more uncommon than unicorns and almost as hard to capture)—but still when you get the right bottle of wine, it is magic! It stands out among all the other Northern Rhône regions. This is one of the most curious blends for the Rhône Valley. In a region known for blends it is the only red wine that advertises that it blends white and red grapes. Why mix the two? I have heard many different reasons: for aromatics, for texture, for color…. Whatever the reason, it works, and it works really well.
Here is a wine that delivers on the promise of being Côte-Rôtie-inspired; this delivers a very special expression of Syrah. On the nose it is dark red fruit, that smoky/bacony thing, and a touch of cracked-pepper spice. Textbook aromatics. On the palate is where this wine stands out. It is full-bodied and textural. Syrah is one of the varieties in which the tannins can be more than aggressive; here they are polished and supple, just like the best Côte-Rôtie. It is the mouthfeel that makes this wine so special. That easy texture makes the fruit pop and show nice depth, especially since those savory, spicy elements are accented with a pretty floral tone. The finish is long and clean. I know it can be a challenge to shop for certain people—I am one of them—I do love it when I am surprised by something new and really appreciate the effort that goes into that. Hopefully this might help finish that holiday list, if not inspire your own curiosity.