Surprisingly Separate Syrah: 2014 Pedal To The Metal, Santa Ynez Valley Syrah

December 14th, 2016 by Vinagoth | Posted in but not outrageous, California, Central Coast, Expensive, Syrah |

This wine is outside the economic scope of this site, being a $75/bottle expense, but I thought I’d share because it caught me by surprise with how enjoyable it was to drink.

I’m not a huge fan of the Syrah (Shiraz) varietal. I rarely drink it as it seems to be a all over the map in terms of how it drinks. It can be super peppery, over-the-top bold, or more often, just sort of … “meh”.

But sometimes, very rare sometimes, a Syrah can be sublime. This is one of those times, as this is the most interesting and tasty Syrah I have ever enjoyed.

I hosted a late Thanksgiving dinner; late by four days, as that was the first time my sons could travel to my home for a family gathering due to their schedules. I chose this wine to accompany this special occasion. I kept three bottles of Pedal to the Metal Syrah in the cellar for several months with the intention of saving them specifically for a such occasions. I assumed that this 2014 wine would not really be ready to fully appreciate in late 2016, but with two more bottles I figured it would be good to taste now and try to peer into the future.

Well, I’m here to tell you the future is now. This wine had none of the tannic explosion I was prepared for… instead it was smooth and very tasty. Nothing like its name except in terms of being at the finish line long before expected or predicted. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all at the table!

Sadly for you dear reader, this wine is likely unobtainable for you right now. I was made in very limited quantities by “Tasting with Tom” host Tom Leykis earlier this year and I believe this vintage has sold out. It was available directly, and via a few retailers in California, but I imagine it is either completely sold out, or only available through some serious effort. But fear not, I have heard that another batch is in process, so keep an ear out for it on Tom’s podcast, or join his mailing list to get news about the next release.