Washington GSM v. Gigondas

If I was racing in the Tour de France I would probably be riding in the broom wagon! My updates are trailing the tour by almost two weeks now.  The show must go on...

In the second week of le Tour the racers followed a route through Southern France.  Along the way they passed straight through the Rhone Valley without stopping to enjoy the wine.  Such a pity!

To compensate for the Tour's lack of culinary interest, I decided to stop off for a battle royale in Gigondas.  Meanwhile, the tour raced up Mt. Ventoux on Bastille day where lots of crazy ensued.

2014 Rotie Cellars Southern Blend v. Arnout & Fils Gigondas 2012 Vieux Clocher

Washington Syrah v. Crozes Hermitage

The start of the Tour de France is just three weeks away.  The pros will be putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the "biggest bike race in the world" in one of two upcoming week long stage races.

The Criterium du Dauphine takes place this week in the Central/Eastern regions of France.  The racers will cover parts of the Rhone and Savoie regions.

The other option is the Tour de Suise which begins June 9th.

The Dauphine began with a short Prologue Time Trial covering just 5.7 km.  This is a short powerful effort with the racers on their limit for slightly less than 7 minutes.  Syrah is a great companion to this type of powerful effort.

This week's matchup features a Washington state Syrah battling with a Syrah from the Crozes Hermitage region in the Northern Rhone.

2007 Nota Bene Columbia Valley Syrah v. 2006 A. Ogier & Fils Crozes Hermitage Syrah