Le Jaja de Jau Syrah
Wine: Le Jaja de Jau Syrah
Grape: Syrah
Region: Vin de Pays d'Oc, southern France
Vintage: 2008
Price: $8.99
In the glass: Jaja is as pitch dark as a black cat under a new moon, and without question boasts one of the densest cores of any wine this year, going out into a dark purplish rim definition with high viscosity.
On the nose: It has a range of scents immediately emanating from the depths of the glass. There is freshly baked blueberry pie, vanilla scones and black cherry puree upfront with underlying hints of violets in bloom, candied currants, and sweet spices, pepper and oak.
On the palate: Jaja stalks the tongue with the intensity of a vampire on the prowl. There are loads of upfront fruit with black cherries, sweet brambleberries, blackberry sorbet, cranberry sauce and jammy character mingling with soft tannins that are in turn interlaced with structured fruit in balance with acidity. The midpalate is pretty intense with deep, crushed fruit, but the finish is pleasant and lingering with a dash of black pepper.
Odds and ends: This is an ideal wine for your Halloween party. The screw cap makes it easy to transport, pop open and drink with fellow ghouls. In addition, it is a great little wine that is well-made, excellently priced and drinks incredibly well, even right from the bottle. The name is kind of funny and sticks with you, but is French slang for everyday drinking wines, which is exactly what this should be, way past Halloween. Drink now through 2011.
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
