Revisiting a Favorite, Back in Time
Friday, February 15th, 2008
We were treated to something special the other day. One of our Friday regulars and friends, Mike, brought in a fairly old bottle to share: 1997 Rosenblum England Shaw Syrah. Grown in Solano County, Katy England and Ken Shaw tended these grapes in a 17-acre vineyard in Winters. Mike said this 97 was the first one for Rosenblum to make, and that the winemakers really adapted well and improved it every year. Upon first opening it, the nose was doing crazy somersaults for a couple minutes. Once it settled down, the rich fruit came through–prunes, raisins, and candied cherries. It was nearly portlike with nutty characteristics, and I also noticed some cedar.There wasn’t much tannin, but the acidity was still present. Overall, I was impressed, as our winemakers and lab guys have mentioned to me that our wines aren’t meant to age past five years or so. This one was going on a decade and still going….



