2019 Aridus Syrah from Willcox, Arizona
Background
Right up front, most people don’t think of Arizona as a “winery state”! Turns out Arizona has over 159 wineries scattered throughout the state. Aridus is in southeastern Arizona in Willcox, about 85 miles east of Tucson in Cochise County. The town of Willcox has 14 different tasting rooms!
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
It had been five months since I last tasted this wine which I keep stocked in the cellar. This Syrah came from two vineyards located next to each other on the Willcox Bench. This bottle is 100% Syrah. Only 220 cases were produced, and it sells for $60/bottle. A unique characteristic of this wine was that it was aged 30 months in French oak barrels, 73% second-fill French oak, and 27% neutral oak.
First on the eyes, a dark radiant and enticing purple/magenta hue. On the nose, lavender and blueberry waft into the senses. On the palate, raspberry, sweet vanilla and cinnamon bounce joyfully from side to side expressing fullness in the mouth. A hint of mocha and light roasted coffee are present on the enticing finish beckoning yet another sip. Lacking fruit, but still savory flavors. To say I was both pleasantly shocked and excited tasting this wine from Arizona is an understatement!
Typical well-balanced Syrah from the known regions of France, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia, but this wine from the lesser known Willcox, Arizona region was delightful.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
This wine was pulled from the cellar to enjoy this evening with beef Teriyaki with sugar snow peas and green onions. Ingredients besides the tenderized flank steak cut into 2 to 3 inch-wide slices, were Teriyaki sauce, snow peas, minced fresh ginger, beef stock, dry sherry, ground Asian red chili pepper, stir fry oil, sliced white mushrooms, green onions sliced lengthwise and green onion cut into small pieces. This was a delicious Teriyaki dish. Accompanied by cauliflower rice sauteed in soy sauce with pre-cooked bacon pieces and green cut onions. A fresh salad with bacon was prepared. An excellent food and wine pairing with the spices and smokiness of the Syrah to stand up to the beef. The overall meal was an excellent food and wine pairing!
The Winery
Scott and Joan Dahmer founded Aridus Wine Company in 2012, just outside the city of Willcox. The name Aridus comes from the Latin word meaning “dry or arid”, most appropriate for most people’s idea of Arizona.
The winery/crush facility and tasting room are located in two different locations in Willcox. They also have another tasting room in Scottsdale on Main Street. Their yearly production is approximately 2,500 cases. They have an amazing lineup of different varietals available: whites including Malvasia Bianca, Viognier, Chardonnay, Fume Blanc and Muscat. Reds include Merlot, Mourvèdre, Graciano, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Petite Verdot and Montepulciano, as well as several Rosés.
The winemaker, Lisa Strid has produced wine for the last seven years at the winery. During this time, she has produced 183 wines from five different growing regions in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Since 2020, Aridus is now making wine exclusively from its estate vineyard.
Sláinte,
Michael