Typically Traditional Northern Rhone producers for me, especially Cornas and St Joe, such as Allemand, Clape and Gonon. I did pick up serious olives and tapenade in a 2005 Edmund St Johns syrah that threw me for a Northern Rhone, which is why a buddy tossed it at me blind. Very nice wine.
Coonawarra cabernet ( Australia )
I’m presuming you mean black olive and not green olive, which shows up in a different set of wines (eg cab sav). Nothing to add to the fact that most commonly northern rhone syrah shows this quality (certainly a few syrahs from elsewhere).
I’m interested to hear comments about what the source of the black olive component in these wines is. Is it just a characteristic of the the grape, when grown and vinified in a certain way? Or is a reflection of reduction, which syrah is apparently quite prone to?
+1
And I had a bottle of 2010 Myriad Cellars Syrah 100% Whole Cluster Las Madres not too long ago that I thought screamed black olive.
Agree with Brian–Wind Gap is terrific on this flavor profile–look for the Sonoma Coast and Armagh bottlings. Some Copain, too
Good call, Kenny. I’ve noticed that both will show olive notes, particularly fresh on opening, almost consistently, regardless of vintage. Just last night I had a fantastic Gonon St Joseph '07 (yes, like we need any more praise for Gonon here on WB) and olives galore when I first opened it.
+1
You’ve got your Berserker Business setup, Todd, you can post it ANYTIME
I personally can’t stand olives, but one I had recently with heavy olive traits was the 2011 Relic Ritual, a Mourvèdre blend
I used to hate (with a passion) olives. I still don’t forgive my father for ordering an olive pizza from Pizza Hut after a soccer game over 20 years ago (that’s how much I hated them).
Now, I quite enjoy olives, by themselves, on pizza and aromas thereof in wine; and look for them in Syrah. I don’t remember the vintage, as i tasted it several years ago, but the Lucia Vineyards’ Susan’s Hill smelled like a jar of green olives and not much else.
Have also run into it with cooler climate Cali producers. Lagier meredith and Rudius alder springs. Also a Ramey Shanel. all Syrahs obviously.
I also have gotten a lot of olive notes from Copain’s Baker Ranch Syrah.
I’ll leave this offer on until Halloween.
Here it is: http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=89793
Clape Cornas. 'nuff said.
Any and all K Vintners Syrah wines
That sounds like vinegar/acetic acid, which is used for pickling and curing some olives. NOT a good thing in wine. I hope you were merely associating olive scents with vinegar and not actually smelling it!
I get black olive in the Rodney Strong Sonoma cab (notably 2010).
IMO, the key to olives is usually stem inclusion (which is why Greg mentions Burlotto Monvigliero). Look for any Syrah producer that does a significant percentage of whole cluster, and you will probably find olives.
I once had an '07 Paraiso Pinot that was so redolent of green olives it was like a tasting box. You could have given a seminar with this, I had two bottles and when we tasted the first we immediately opened the second and it was the same way. Not flawed per se, but unusual.
Jamet Cote Rotie is usually my favorite for that distinct and delicious olivey note.