Hurrah For Syrah!
Wine Adviser/Paul Gregutt The Seattle Times
Whether or not they sample our wonderful Washington merlots, the national wine press has finally begun to take notice of Washington syrah—cutting-edge stuff! But in spite of some positive reviews, they don't really have a sense of just how good syrah is getting to be out here because they will never taste 90 percent of the syrahs that are being made in Washington.
Why? There are probably (my estimate) between 250 and 300 different syrah bottlings being made annually, and those numbers keep climbing. That's a guess, but it's based on the fact that most of the tiny boutiques make at least one, and usually more. If just a quarter of our 400-plus wineries produce syrah, and they average two or three different syrahs each, you can see how I arrived at that estimate. Since these wineries make just 100 or 200 cases of any given wine, very few people will ever taste them. But living here in the Northwest, we are among the fortunate few.
Washington syrahs have gone from being a curiosity to being solid and interesting reds to being world-class. Why? Because the vines are getting older, the vineyard management is improving and the winemakers are approaching their syrahs in particular with a youthful passion that is absolutely riveting.
Want to taste for yourself? Here are six new syrahs from some of Washington's most innovative wineries. These wines are absolutely dazzling. They light up the palate with a mix of highlighted flavors that California (and for that matter, Australia) can only dream of. These are wines that dance. They express all that is brilliant in Washington: the bright, fresh, tangy berry fruit; the nuances of citrus and spice; and the sharp acids that provide the nerve structure, the definition and the sheer vitality of this state's wines.
These are very limited releases, but they are not impossible to find. You can obtain most of them from wine shops that specialize in Washington boutiques, or simply contact the wineries directly. For you number crunchers, these are all 92- to 95-point wines.
Syncline 2004 "Milbrandt Vineyards" Syrah Columbia Valley; $22. Another brilliant wine from Syncline's James Mantone, featuring Wahluke Slope fruit. It's jammy without being hot, dense but poised, and lovingly detailed with blackberry and black cherry the dominant flavors. A blockbuster, available at specialty shops.
Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines."
His column appears weekly in the Wine section.
He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.