Believe the Hype...Jon Martinez and Maison Bleue Winery

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know about Maison Bleue wines before four or five months ago. I learned about them when I did a post on some of the amazing white wines Kana Winery has been making. A reader sent me an email to tell me that if I didn't know the Roussanne that Maison Bleue was making, I didn't know diddly. I hate to admit this, but it would seem that at the time, I didn't know diddly. But I'm a quick learner.

I contacted Jon and asked about buying his Roussanne; they were all sold out in Seattle and I couldn't get my hands on one. Jon did me one better and sent me samples of six wines, opening up a can of elegant Rhone tradition whoopass on my ignorant palate. The wines Jon sent me included two bottles of Syrah, two bottles of Grenache and one bottle each of Viognier and Roussane. Believe me when I tell you that Maison Bleue is making some of the best Rhone style wines at their price point in the state of Washington, and maybe some of the best such wines regardless of price. All of the wines Jon sent me were 2008s. Given that, I can only imagine how Jon's earlier releases are drinking right now.

Jon's wine and his philosophy show a deeply respectful nod to tradition while also showcasing the excellent terroir of Washington. His mission is "True dedication to purity of fruit and distinction of site." That results in single-AVA and mostly single-vineyard varietals from sites within the Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, and Snipes Mountain AVAs. Jon is using acclaimed vineyards Alder Ridge, Boushey and Olsen Estates, to name a few.

All of this commitment to tradition would lead you to the conclusion that Jon's wine education came from a legendary wine experience in the old world. You'd be close. Jon got his start in Kansas, as a dentist. So it's pretty much the story you're used to.

The two Syrahs, the Liberte ($39) from Boushey Vineyards and La Roque ($25) from Alder Ridge and Wallula Vineyards, were two very different expressions of 2008 Washington Syrah. The Boushey fruit brought the characteristic beauty of Washington Syrah, while the Horse Heaven Hills Syrah was a bolder, spicier exemplar of what is traditionally a hot site, even in a cool year. Jon's Syrahs are more refined than you will often find, and I was very impressed with what he did with this HHH fruit. These are the first of 2008 Syrah that I've had the pleasure to drink and I was really impressed where these wines were in such a short time.

The Grenaches were a real treat. Jon sent the 2008 La Montagnette ($25) from Alder Ridge and the Le Midi ($29) from Boushey Vineyards. Both of these wines were blended with a tiny bit of Syrah for color, which also adds to the structure of the wine. These were two of the most deep garnet and beautiful wines I've laid eyes on. The balance on the wines and the acidity made them incredible with food.

The whites were both amazing wines, the La Vallee du Soleil ($25) Roussanne from Olsen Vineyard and the Notre Vie ($20) Viognier. The Viognier is one of the best I've had, and at $20, it's phenomenally priced. It's got brighter fruit notes, which are typical of the varietal, and hails from a vineyard I've never heard of: Art Den Hoed Vineyard. The Roussanne, which is what prompted me to contact Jon, was really special. The Olsen vineyard fruit recommitted me to my opinion that Roussanne is the quintessential white wine for red wine drinkers. The Roussanne had more savory notes, as opposed to some of the bright fruit you get from other white varietals and the complexity was all there.

Jon set out to "make ultra premium wines from designated vineyards and appellations across Washington." He's certainly accomplished that goal. Jon has done some magic, though, in keeping his wines priced in the $20-$30 range. That's a real treat because while it may not be your budget for an everyday wine, Maison Bleue wines will give you a wine experience that is easily worth two to three times the price, proving that not all wine experiences need come with a hefty price tag.

Le Fête de Syrah - Edgefield's Grand Celebration

At Edgefield's Celebration of Syrah last weekend, Pacific Northwest Syrah was king for a day. Actually, it was king for an entire weekend. Not the kind of king you see on those crazy Burger King commercials, either. We're talking a legitimate king, all royal like King Tut and stuff. I digress. Rick and I receive passes for the 9th Annual Celebration, an event orchastrated by the geniuses at McMenamins and hosted by their flagship Edgefield Winery.  Luckily, we were able to "squeeze" the event into our "packed" wine drinking schedule and bright and early Saturday morning we hit the road to Troutdale to Syrah it up.

If you haven't been to Edgefield, it truly is a magical place and was the perfect environment for this type of event.  An old poor farm, McMenamins has turned Edgefield into a destination resort it the mouth of the Columbia Gorge, not far from many of the Gorge wineries.  Hotel rooms?  They got 'em.  Golf?  Yep.  Fine dining restaurant?  Check.  Spa?  Purr.  A winery, distillery, brewery, and pub?  Glug glug glug.  A guy could stay there for a month and never leave the property.  They also host a summer concert series at a gorgeous setting.  Oh, did I mention that you can purchase beer and wine and wander around the entire 74-acre property?

The first event of the Celebration, which we were not able to attend, was a Gourmet Viognier Reception and Syrah Dinner. The dinner included a private reception featuring the winemaker's Viogniers followed by a multicourse dinner prepared by Edgefield's Black Rabbit Restaurant and paired with our guest winemakers' Syrahs. We heard it was phenomenal.

We joined the party for Syrah Barrel Sampling and BBQ Lunch. This was a relatively intimate event, hosted in a unique and historic ballroom in Edgefield's main building. Approximately 150 attendees crowded around 15 wine barrels throughout the room and "chewed the fat" with winemakers while tasting barrel samples of Syrah. Paired with a beef brisket lunch, chewing the fat was both a literal and figurative description. Some highlights of this barrel tasting include:

• 2008 Syncline McKinley Springs Syrah: Using fruit out of Horse Heaven Hills, this was probably my favorite of the barrel tastes.
• 2009 Spindrift Syrah: From the Seven Hills Vineyard, this was a delicious wine and even better conversation. We had been to Spindrift a few times but hadn't met Tabitha and Matt until this event. We look forward to future collaborations.
• 1998 McCrea Syrah: So clearly 1998 wasn't a barrel taste, but McCrea decided to buck the norm and bring their oldest syrah. Yum.

After a 2-hour break in which we shot pool on what had to be the largest pool table in the world (seriously, this thing was 12-feet long), we headed to the final event for the Celebration: Grand Syrah Tasting and Benefit Silent Auction.

The grand tasting was organized in more of a trade show format, with approximately 40 wineries pouring in Blackberry Hall and the adjoining circus tent. The crowd was larger than barrel tasting and the appetizers were quickly devoured, but we elbowed our way through and bellied up to some of our favorite wineries and some new ones. After another great stop to see our friends at Spindrift, we discovered the following treasures:

• Penner-Ash: Pouring a syrah with a blend of Columbia Valley and Rogue Valley fruit, the staff was nice and the wine delicious.
• Cana's Feast: Pouring a 2006 and 2007 Syrah out of Horse Heaven Hills, Cana's wine knocks it out of the park. Behind the bottle we found Patrick Taylor, the winemaker and a compatriot in our vision of bringing wine to a younger crowd.

Among my favorite components of the Celebration was the variety of audiences the three events catered to. Whether you were young, older, wine novice or an expert, one or all of these events were for you. A great setting, awesome wine, and amazing conversations. Edgefield's Celebration of Syrah. What more could we ask for?

Maybe a crown and a scepter...

Washington Syrah: A Tasting of Terroir (Part 2 of 2)

This is a continuation of yesterday's post on our tasting of four 2006 Syrah from four of Washington's finest AVAs and vineyards. Our first two Syrahs were from Fielding Hills in the Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla Valley's K Vintners Morrison Lane Syrah.

Our third Syrah moved west from Walla Walla Valley deeper into Yakima Valley to Laurelhurst and their Boushey Vineyards Syrah. The Boushey Vineyards, which are nearly smack dab in the middle of the Yakima Valley, have a more moderate climate than the vineyards of the Wahluke Slope and Red Mountain. The Boushey Vineyards are mostly a sand and loam soil combination and the Boushey fruit is sought after and is often looked at as fruit that personifies what Washington Wine can and should be.

The Laurelhurst Cellars Syrah ($37) had aromatics of earth tones and oak with cherry notes and an earthen quality which is typical of Boushey fruit. We also noted the definitive dark cherry and pepper notes that we have come to expect of a Washington Syrah. Most of us also picked up on the vanilla accents in the wine, which Craig guessed came from their use of new oak. Laurelhurst winemaker Gabe Warner later confirmed that the Syrah spent 22 months in 100% new French oak. The wine was the "hottest" of the four initially but the alcohol quickly breathed off, revealing a well balanced Syrah with good acidity. Laurelhurst Cellars is a relatively new urban winery located in South Seattle, producing wine in small lots, and using tight grain French oak to accent the wines.

Our final wine of the evening was DeLille's Doyenne Gran Ciel Vineyard Syrah ($72) from Red Mountain. Red Mountain, Washington's smallest AVA at 600 planted acres, is so named because of the red color of the cheat grass that covers the area. The Red Mountain is marked by a gravelly soil high in alkaline and is primarily planted with classic Washington red varietals: Cabernet, Syrah, and Merlot on southwestern-facing slopes that get more sunlight hours than any other Washington AVA.

The DeLille Syrah 98% Syrah was blended with 2% Viognier to emulate the Rhone style. Craig explained that the blend creates an "ethereal" kind of result that combines the dark fruits and pepper of the Syrah with a floral and citrus element of the Viognier. This wine was built to lay down but was already displaying loads of character and nuance. The Doyenne GC Syrah had by far the most interesting and complex finish of the wines we tasted. The Syrah was big and jammy, with blackberry and plum flavors, and you could certainly detect the Viognier in what Gwynne referred to as orange blossom. This wine made it clear that it was going to go from delicious to extraordinary. The acidity and structure of this wine make one daydream of what it will be in ten years.

All of these wines were delicious. Sampling wines with 100% single vineyard fruit allowed us to really appreciate the character of the varying terroirs of Washington state. The variety and subtlety of the sources of the grapes allowed us experience how soils and climate can show up in the wine, through the nose and the taste. Most premium wines are made in a similar manner, though there are variances in oak and time spent in the bottle. What we taste in well-crafted wine is the ability of the winemaker to highlight the fruit and terroir that makes it special.

They say that the wine is made in the vineyard. I think these four wines proved that in the hands of a good winemaker, great fruit can become better wine.

The wineries:
Fielding Hills
K Vintners
Laurelhurst Cellars
DeLille Cellars

Washington Syrah; A Tasting of Terroir (Part 1 of a 2 Part series)

Washington grows wine that can stand up to wine from anywhere else, and our Syrah is no exception. We all have particular expectations of what we'll get from a glass of Syrah. Though Syrah grown in France will be quite different from a Syrah grown in Washington, the Syrahs grown in Washington have elements in common. Within those commonalities, however, are subtle differences that come from the growing regions spread across the state.

I wanted to invite some friends over to explore the subtleties that exist in four different Washington Syrahs, all from 2006. The Syrahs came from of Walla Walla valley, the Wahluke Slope, and two examples of Yakima Valley: Red Mountain and the Boushey Vineyard. A friend, Craig Nickel, happens to be Cellarmaster for DeLille Cellars, and agreed to lead us through the tastings and give us the dirt on Washington's terroir. (Oh, that's a good one.)

We were lucky enough to have the cooperation of four wineries for this event; the wines were provided by Delille Cellars, K Vintners, Laurelhurst Cellars and Fielding Hills. Today's post will cover the Walla Walla Valley and Wahluke slope Syrahs; tomorrow we'll talk about the Yakima Valley Syrahs.

We started out in the Wahluke Slope. Wahluke is the Native term for "watering place," and it is Washington's 8th AVA. Originally dominated by Riesling and Chardonnay, the Wahluke Slope trademark sandy and gravelly soil now boast 80% red wine varietals, including some of the best Merlot in the state. The 2006 Fielding Hills Syrah ($40) from the Riverbend Vineyard represented the Wahluke Slope. Fielding Hills is a family owned winery that has been in operation since 2000, making small lot premium wines that are given lots of care and attention. They have developed an excellent reputation as one of Washington's fine winemakers.

The Fielding Hills Syrah was a very nice example of the trademark Wahluke Slope characteristics. The wine had a beautiful ruby color, slightly lighter than the other three Syrahs we'd taste, with smoky berry notes to match. It was as the most peppery of the Syrahs we tasted, which Craig pointed out is a trademark of Syrah that is even more present when the weather is quite hot. (Wahluke Slope is the warmest grape growing region in Washington.) Some guests noticed notes of chocolate and ripe red berries. This wine was well balanced and had an excellent finish that kept us coming back.

We moved from Wahluke Slope to Walla Walla Valley and the K Vintners Morrison Lane Syrah ($45). Walla Walla is known as the "Napa of Washington" and in many ways is the re-birthplace of the Washington Wine industry. The Walla Walla Valley AVA is in the southeastern-most corner of Washington and is marked by a wind blow silt deposited loess soil. K Vintners is one of the original winemakers in Walla Walla and their Syrah is an example of classic Walla Walla, where the fruit typically hangs longer to produce a "shrivel". That level of ripeness produces a concentration of flavor in the fruit. The wine it produces is well-balanced with excellent acidity and well structured tannins.

The first noticeable difference between our first two wines was color. The K Syrah was very dark in glass, nearly black, and had a more fragrant nose with floral notes. On the palate, it was much darker fruit with prunes and dark cherries. While the spice and pepper mingled with the fruit, they weren't as overt. The K Syrah exhibited dark earthen tones on both the nose and the palate. This is a big shouldered rich wine.

Tomorrow we'll talk about the Yakima Valley Syrahs; the Laurelhurst Cellars Boushey Vineyard Syrah, and the Delille Cellars Grand Ciel Syrah.

A Winery to Watch: Crayelle Cellars

A frequent reader of The Oregon Wine Blog tipped me off to a man by the name of Craig Mitrakul. While I hadn't heard of Craig, I was familiar with some of his handiwork: Craig held posts as the assistant winemaker at both Ponzi Vineyard in the Willamette Valley and Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla before becoming the winemaker at both Ryan Patrick and Saint Laurent Estate Winery.

More recently, Craig and his wife Danielle have struck out on their own in the creation of Crayelle Cellars. Craig has been called "one of the up and coming wine making stars in Washington" by Wine Press NW. Crayelle Cellars just released their first vintage in August of 2009, a 2007 Syrah and 2008 Dry Riesling. Craig's choice of syrah and riesling was a result of his coming up through the world of wine; Riesling came from his East Coast roots and his time in the Finger Lakes of New York state, while the focus on Syrah came from working a harvest in Australia. All Craig's fruit comes from the Ancient Lakes area of the Columbia Valley. Currently under application for an AVA status, this area is a bit further north and at a higher altitude than much of the valley. I think this is one of the keys to the wine that Craig is crafting. The labels on the Crayelle wines include three words that represent the philosophy of Crayelle; balance, character and longevity. I can say with certainty that the Crayelle wines have balance in spades. Both wines are 100% varietals made in small lots, around 70 cases of each.

The Crayelle Syrah ($26) is refined and elegant with a fine and smooth finish. Craig sent me a bottle of each to sample and stressed that he's making wine to be enjoyed with food. We paired it with a shrimp bisque and shrimp corn cakes. It had subtle pepper notes and red fruit with what Gwynne described as a "nutty" finish; I'd call it almost smoky. It was a very good match for the subtly spicy notes of the shrimp corn cakes. What really stood out for me with Craig's wine, particularly the Syrah, was how it departed from the majority of the varietal produced here in Washington. The Crayelle Syrah provides a different experience and a chance to expand your horizons (and your palate) when it comes to Washington Syrah. In this Syrah you find a new potential AVA showcased in a wine that reveals itself slowly, letting the fruit speak for itself. Many Washington Syrahs are big and bold; Crayelle appears a bit more intellectual and layered.

The Dry Riesling ($16) is done in an Alsatian style. The wine is crisp and aromatic with notes of citrus fruits all the way from the nose through the palette. The wine's acidity is very well balanced and it is an excellent food wine. This is a wine that will win over those wine drinkers who believe that Riesling and its sweetness are not for them. There is a minerality that is present amidst the fruit accents, but it doesn't result in a chalky wine that I feel you often get with drier style Rieslings. Instead you find a wine that is light and bright on the palate.


I found his wines to be about substance and subtlety; the Crayelle Syrah isn't the party guest who draws attention to themselves, raising their voice and shouting tales of their exploits across the room; rather, you learn the personality through an extended and shared conversation. Craig shared that the goal at Crayelle is layers of flavor and texture on the palate. They're not interested in hitting you over the head with their wine.

Variety is what makes wine so enjoyable. If every cork we popped tasted the same, the conversation would be boring and short. If you're willing to "listen," I think you'll find something very interesting in the wines coming out of Crayelle Cellars. These are wines that have depth, balance, and character. And if Crayelle's first release is any indication, longevity won't be a problem either.

2006 Nuthatch Syrah with Short Ribs at GTF

Back on track with our series on the May wine dinner at Gathering Together Farm, the main course the evening was a dish featuring short ribs paired with a Nuthatch Cellars 2006 Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah. The beef short rib, served over bok choy and potato puree with dandelion gremolata, were good but could have used a little more spice. It was more of a traditional homestyle preparation as opposed to an asian or fusion style. While not disappointed with the ribs, I had hoped for a little more complex of a dish.

Nuthatch Cellars has a limited production of less than four hundred cases per year and in doing so are able to give meticulous attention to the entire process -- hand labeling and corking every bottle. Located in the foothills west of Corvallis, OR, they source fruit from some of the heavy hitting vineyards in the Walla Walla, Horse Heaven Hills, Umpqua Valley, and Columbia Valley appellations. They only make "big ass reds" and do a great job at it.

The 2006 Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah uses vineyard designate grapes from the Walla Walla Valley. This full bodied wine is described, "with luscious blackberry fruit and a backbone of refined tannis, it has a long, sustained finish. Aged 16 months is 70% French and 30% American oak, it is unfiltered and unfined." I found a nose of tobacco on the wine, and Chris noted a "puckery action" upon taste. All agreed this was a wonderful big red and we got the desired spiciness out of the wine versus the ribs.

Well folks, that's it for this course. Next up, finishing the series, Rick is going to chroicle our experience with dessert - a strawberry & rhubarb japonaise with Harris Bridge Winery Pinot Noir dessert wine.

Until then, make a comment and tell us what you like to pair a syrah with?

A Revelation with Revolution

For the Holidays, Jennifer was in visiting Bryan, who I work with. I have, over the past year and a half become fairly good friends with these two. We spend time together when Jennifer comes into town, including all of my New Year’s Eve’s since moving to Oregon. In that time, the three of us have talked a lot about wine, and they both know about this wine blog. For Christmas of 2008, the two of them went down to Sacramento to see Jennifer’s brother, and when they returned they brought me a bottle of 2006 Syrah from Revolution Wines. I only regret that I am not sitting with them while I enjoy this bottle, so I make this entry in tribute to them.

I opened this bottle and let it sit for an hour before I poured the first glass. When I poured, I saw a very deep rich color. I could also smell what I thought were berries. There is a incredible coating on the glass when swirled and I think I could smell a somewhat smokey wood sent. I confirm that I do smell berries in my glass, but I have not yet checked the website to see which ones might be there. And now for the first taste…

The first taste is strong and a bit tart, but with a crisp full flavor. There is the initial warming of your throat. As my palate adjusts to the flavors, I can taste the berries, not too strong, but they give this Syrah a bit of a sweet kick as it just enters the mouth and rests on the palate. There are also spices I taste that enhance this wine to add to its enjoyment.

I liken this wine to my relationship with Jenn and Bryan. Bryan, coming from the Midwest, and Jenn from the South, they are a mixture of flavors (if you will), like this wine has a mixture of the tart but crisp flavor. They, like the berries are not too strong, and have warm and gentle hearts that make anyone who is friends with them, feel cared for. And also like this wine, Jennifer and Bryan provide hours of enjoyment with what they bring to the table of friendship I have with them.

So I raise my glass of Revolution to Bryan and Jennifer and for their continued friendship.

Until next time...

2003 Chateau Lorane Syrah

I couldn’t let the entire month of November go by without publishing post.

I came home this evening after a 75% day of work already thinking that I needed to open a bottle of wine. It would not be until about 9:30 this evening when I would peruse my wine collection to decide what I should open. I made the conscious decision that whatever I opened, it had to be an Oregon wine so that I could make an entry. I decided upon a 2003 Syrah from Chateau Lorane. I am not always a big fan of Syrah – it usually just depends. This 2003 bottle was one I purchased Labor Day weekend of 2007 when my friend Christopher was visiting. I must say that I am a fan of Chateau Lorane. The scenery of the winery/tasting room is incredibly beautiful, picturesque, and almost serene.

While I opened this bottle at about 9:30 in the evening, it would be 11:30 before I would pour the first glass. I think that giving this wine 2 hours, unintentionally, to breathe did great things to enhance the nose and the palate of this Syrah. When I poured the glass, I was immediately taken by the dark color. Because I don’t drink a lot of Syrahs, I wasn’t sure if they are normally this dark, but this Syrah has a very dark rich color. Holding it up to the light, it was very difficult to see through the glass.

Another thing I noticed while pouring is that the nose of this Syrah was immediately present - it was a very full oak nose. Something also noticeable in the nose was the cherries. The cherries and other fruit (blackberries) were very lightly present when sniffing this wine.

Like the majority of wines, the first sip was nothing too spectacular, there was some warmth to my throat, but that quickly subsided. What I am now noticing with this Syrah is that you taste a bit of the sweet from the fruits right away, and that subsides almost just as quickly as it came. It tastes like there are spices present, but I am unable to find the information on the 2003, which is unfortunate. The 2004 makes no note of any spices either. If I had to guess, I would probably say there are some spices and some cinnamon present here.

I do like that this Syrah has a light sweet taste, but then mellows out to an enjoyable beverage. I wouldn’t say that there is anything too special to this Syrah, but it a good way to end the day.

Until next time...

2003 Cañon De Sol Syrah & Great Food

Last week a couple of friends kidnapped me for my birthday and took me to McMenamin's Edgefield Winery for some celebrating, drinking, eating and wine purchasing. The trip was doubly productive thanks to Chris' employee discount on the wine from their winery. It was a fun and delicious birthday treat, but while we were there having dinner we ordered a bottle of wine, which turned out to be out-of-stock so we upgraded to the top end syrah on the wine list. That wonderful bottle was the 2003 Syrah from Cañon De Sol Winery.

When the server poured my tasting sip the first thing I noticed was that the wine smelled of a very fruity jam, it had a deep red color, and has a very long and smooth finish. The palate is also of a very fruity deep red berry jam, with a mild oak flavor that provides just enough balance to the wine. It paired excellently with each of the three meals we individually had:

• Lamb Saltimbocca sirloin filled with sautéed artichoke hearts, seasoned with fresh sage leaves and wrapped in prosciutto with balsamic vinegar-pomegranate molasses reduction and roasted cippolini onions


• Grilled Smoked Ribeye Steak dried cherry and Edgefield Winery Syrah reduction, smoked jalapeño butter, roasted baby Yukon Gold potatoes


• New York Steak Béarnaise sauce creamy potato blue cheese gratin, sautéed green beans
  

Cañon De Sol Winery hails from Benton City, Washington which is about 15 miles outside of Richland, Washington in the eastern side of the state. Noteworthy of the Winery is that Victor Cruz the Managing Owner/Winemaker is the only Latino winemaker and winery owner in the state of Washington. So, not only can you be sure to enjoy some wonderful wine if you buy this syrah, but you can know you're supporting a minority owned small business.

In the end the wine is something I will continue to recommend to friends to enjoy, as will I recommend eating at the Black Rabbit Restaurant & Bar at the Edgefield Winery in Troutdale, Oregon.

-Cheers!

2005 Griffin Creek Syrah Fort Miller Vineyard

PEPPERY, BLACK CHERRY, OAK, VANILLA, SMOOTH!

Please excuse my excitement; my taste buds have control of my brain and I have a new favorite! My fellow wine bloggers know that I covet my Syrah's, particularly the 2002 and 2004 from Griffin Creek, so I was quite excited to receive the 2005 Fort Miller Vineyard version as a house warming gift.

The first whiff after popping the cork on this Rouge Valley gem was the peppery spice and bold cherry nose that diffused from the glass. This encounter was off to a good start! Letting the first pour breathe a bit, I put the finishing touches on the pairing for the evening, New York pepper steak, cheese risotto, and corn.

After toasting my wife on our new house, our first sips were pure bliss... This wine contained all of the key components I require for a superior ranking: spicy nose, fruit and oak notes, with a smooth finish. In this case a subtle vanilla finish grew in intensity, while maintaining its smooth qualities, as the wine came to equilibrium with its uncorked environment. The pairing of this robust yet complex vintage with the pepper steak could not have been improved; fellow wine blogger Megan, who is a lover of a good sweet white wine could not complement this Syrah enough.

As a test, tonight I decided to pair the same bottle with chicken enchiladas... OK, this may not be the traditional pairing for a robust red, but I felt that I had to really push this wine to see if it ranked supreme on my list. After being open for a day, any bite that was imagined at first sip has completely vanished and the vanilla, cherry, and oak components have intensified! Yes, I think it actually got better!

I will be acquiring another bottle of this wonderful specimen and would suggest that even the folks a little apprehensive of reds give this vintage chance.

Finally, Drew and Josh, thanks much for such a wonderful gift; I would suggest locking your doors until I get a chance to purchase another bottle...

CHEERS!!!!

2004 Griffin Creek Syrah

This pre-release wine, made available only to Willamette Valley Vineyards Club members, is an outstanding testament to the quality of southern Oregon wines and its fruit forward grapes. Syrah can be a finicky wine to master, in my humble opinion. The bold qualities of this grape make it a wonderful wine to pair with big meals like steak, ribs, or even a roast.

As for the specifics of the 2004 Syrah by Griffin Creek, the nose starts with a great spicy tone, followed by a smooth scent of blackberries and black pepper. When the wine hits the palate a wonderful flavor of black cherries, strawberry jam, and a long smooth finish of spicy black pepper and licorice.

For our own pairing we had a dinner party last night with seven other friends at our place. For the main course we dry-rubbed some pork spare ribs overnight. The rub had a base of brown sugar and cinnamon, with cayanne, chili powder, paprika, ground ginger and garlic, and some thyme and rosemary. The pairing was excellent, the dinner phenomenal, and the company beyond reproach.

If you ever get the opportunity to purchase a bottle of this wine, by some myserious chance, do so without hesitation. The wine is one I won't soon forget.

-Cheers!

Barnard Griffin 2004 Syrah

Are you looking for a nice syrah for under $20? Barnard Griffin's 2004 Syrah is the wine for you. Barnard Griffin is probably my favorite Eastern Washington winery, located near the Yakima River in Richland. Now, I grew up in Richland but unfortunately was under the legal age for enjoying wine at the time. I'm really digging where the industry is going in the Tri-Cities when I visit my family.

Barnard Griffin buys all of their fruit--and Rob Griffin, the winemaker, attributes much of his success to sourcing great fruit. They produce both tulip labels and reserve wines, and while the reserve are definitely the cream of the crop, tulip label wines are very respectable and reasonably priced.

For the 2004 Syrah, the nose has plum and blackberry notes with rich, full-bodied flavors. The grapes for this wine came from the Wahluke Slope, Columbia Gorge, and Columbia River areas capitalizing on the high heat climate of the Columbia Valley. We cracked it open with a nice steak and next thing we knew, the bottle was gone.

Next time you are in the local wine store, pick up a bottle. Even better, if you happen to find yourself in Richland--stop by the tasting room. They are quite hospitable.