Dessert wines are often luxurious to the point of excess. They become dressy and self important, seeming to demand an appropriate occasion and setting.
So the 2021 Dessert Syrah from Odonata comes as somewhat of a pleasant surprise. The wine showcases opulent fruit, but remains light and jaunty in character – so sweet natured, in fact, that winemaker Denis Hoey compares it to enjoying a cherry cola on a sunny afternoon. And it’s an apt description, as dense impressions of cured cherry and nutty cola drape the palate, along with blackberries left to juice in a wooden bowl, dark and perhaps cracked from years of use – at least that’s an image that comes to mind. A fragrant peppercorn note introduces itself on the nose and brings a blissful balance to the whole, without upsetting the wine’s charm.
Hoey drew grapes from three distinct vineyards and fermented in stainless steel before bringing the process to a halt with brandy – in this case a young spirit Odonata produces and is in the process of aging. The wine was then rested in barrels.
While he targeted 8-percent residual sugar, fortifying can require some quick precision. In this case, fermentation stopped at 7 percent, for a sweet but not cloying finish.
It’s one of the few dessert wines from Monterey County labels and it stands out as a choice for easy smiles and casual affairs – although it can carry itself just as well in a steakhouse lounge or other formal gatherings.
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