Amicus Cellars | X Winery

This Syrah from X Winery, a company geared towards bringing high quality wines in the $10 to $25 range to the market, is actually just a few percentage points away from a Paso Robles appellation. Because 78% of the fruit is from Paso Robles with the remaining 22% from Napa Valley (Carneros), it bears the more generic California appellation. The packaging is an eye-catching, dark smokey glass bottle with a fiery red-orange flame up the front.

The wine is a bright, moderately opaque ruby with a watery rim and medium viscosity. On the nose, it is fruit forward with cherry, strawberry, oregano, basil, floral plus sandalwood incense and candied orange peel. On the palate, it is medium bodied and smooth, with ripe fruit and an underlying tangy quality. It is a good example of varietal expression, until the finish where it becomes a bit rough with oak and mint notes. This could easily be mitigated with dishes such as roast tenderloin of pork with honey and thyme, or baby back ribs with a robust mustard sauce. While the fruit is ripe and sweet as one would expect from the source, the use of oak is deliciously in check.

Reviewed January 16, 2008 by Catherine Fallis.