Syrah example of quality at good price

Sometimes a wine comes along that defies what you would expect for price and quality. Cycles Gladiator Syrah is one of those.

Found in the market for less than $7, this California wine is an outstanding example of why it is difficult to make a case for an imported wine when the euro is so strong.

I first tasted Cycles Gladiator Syrah out of a bottle that had been opened about six days earlier and the cork casually put back in the bottle.

Under normal circumstances, this wine would have been DOA, but it was incredibly tasty. This is the kind of thing that is the hallmark of top quality wines.

Cycles Gladiator is made from a blend of Central Coast vineyard fruit of considerable quality.

In the glass, Cycles Gladiator Syrah is a deeply opaque purplish-red color with a dense core, going out into a fine violet-red rim definition with medium painted viscosity.

On the nose, there is much freshly crushed black fruit jumping out, with dominance by crushed black cherries, blueberries, brambleberry jam, cranberry confit, black tea, licorice root and earthy minerals.

In the mouth, the wine completely engulfs the palate with rich crushed blended black fruits, including loganberries, marionberries, black cherry preserve, blueberry juice, dark chocolate and hints of anise and subtle oak. The midpalate is a lovely balanced and harmonious tongue tickler, going into a soft and velvety finish that lingers with ripe concentrated black cherries and silky tannins that are unobtrusive.

This is a nice example of a well-made California syrah, and the freshness in this wine is staggering. It is a great companion for bistecca fiorentina, the traditional Florentine way of cooking a T-bone, rare with just salt and pepper on the grill. It is a wine that has two to four years of aging potential and will do even better if opened about one hour before consumption.

Wine: Cycles Gladiator Syrah

Grape: Syrah (90 percent), petite sirah (10 percent)

Region: Central Coast, Calif.

Vintage: 2005

Price: $6.99

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.