2008 Syrah
Columbia Valley
Our annual cuvee is from barrels selected from three of our best vineyards. Dineen Family, a great spot north of Zillah in the central Yakima Valley, Chandler Reach, a terrific site on the river near Red Mountain, and Stillwater Creek, a perennial favorite sourced from a rocky slope on the Frenchman Hills. Together this wine shows the diversity of each vineyard, but at the same time weaves together to form a complex wine.
Inky purple colors, tones of sweet fruits, spice and bacon notes on the nose. Aromas of licorice and mocha intermingle with cassis and leather. Opulent fruit flavors on the palate are beautifully balanced by firm, velvety tannins. These tannins help elevate gobs of sweet fruit in your mouth and a very long smooth finish makes this wine very accessible now or can age 7-10 years. Purchase online.
| Varietals: | 100% Syrah |
|---|---|
| Harvest Date: | October 2008 |
| Barrel Aging: | 21 months |
| Barrel Type: | 100% French Oak (Cadus, Demptos, Seguin Moreau) |
| Alcohol: | 14.8% |
| Appellation: | Columbia Valley |
| Vineyard(s): | Stillwater Creek (45%), Chandler Reach (45%) Dineen Family (10%) |
| Production: | 167 cases |
| Release Date: | September 2010 |
| Suggested Retail: | $30 |
91 points | Wine Spectator
Explosively ripe, bursting with dark berry, fresh currant, plum, spice and black olive flavors, riding easily over a bed of re¬fined tannins into the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2018.—H.S.
91 Points | Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Bright full ruby. Expressive, varietally accurate aromas of blackberry, smoked meat and licorice. Juicy, savory and highly concentrated, with lovely lift and a chewy, saline quality to the flavors of cassis, blackberry and bitter chocolate. Finishes sweet and long, with substantial firm but suave tannins and excellent lift. This is the best set of releases I've tasted so far from this winery
