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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, September 30, 2007 Washington state syrahs have a bright future By Jeff Wicklund Special to The Herald Que syrah; yea, syrah; hurrah for syrah! The syrah train is definitely rolling across the state of Washington, and new rail cars are being added every day. This is one wine geek who's happy to have a standing ticket to ride that glorious rail. This pass doesn't require any inside wine industry connection, pinky-out, nose-to-the-ceiling snobbery, or vast insight into the subtle intricacies of this fascinating Rhone Valley grape variety. No, it merely requires an open mind, open palate, open wallet and a little viniferous inclination. The explosion of this inky-black, vigorous-growing and potentially glorious grape onto the equally explosive Washington wine scene is quite extraordinary. We're coming up on the 20th anniversary of the first commercial bottling of syrah in our state, and given its remarkable success, it seems a good time to step back and take a peek beneath the leaf, under the cork and behind the labels of this fabulous fermented phenom. The origin of the grape is a topic that has prompted heated discussion for centuries, so let's just set the record straight, or as straight as I'm able to. As it turns out, the grape, which has been cultivated since antiquity, is indeed indigenous to the Rhone River Valley in France (based on extensive genetic research at the University of California-Davis, and the French National Agronomy Archives in Montpellier). It's the only grape used to make the famous Rhone wines of Cote Rotie and Hermitage, and also forms the backbone of most Rhone blends, including Chateauneuf du Pape. DNA profiling proved that the grape's parents are two obscure varieties, mondeuse blanc and dureza, which where genetically crossed to produce syrah. There is the "Persian paradigm" though, in that it has been a competing claim that syrah originated in ancient Persia (now Iran) around the city of Shiraz, and it was the Australians and South Africans who adopted this name of a Middle Eastern city as the name of their most prized black-skinned grape variety. In Washington, the syrah grape was kick-started by the trailblazing efforts of wine pioneers such as David Lake, master of wine at Columbia Winery, and Doug McCrea of McCrea Cellars, with plantings in the mid-'80s. The first bottling was in 1988. The inspiration came from the belief that the heat, rugged terrain and long growing seasons in Eastern Washington mimicked that of the Northern Rhone, and that world-class syrah could eventually be produced there. Little did they know how quickly this would come to fruition, as the very first vintage of the Columbia 1988 "Red Willow Vineyard" was stunning, coming from vines which had barely reached maturity. I remember years ago taking part in a vertical tasting (a sequence of vintages usually beginning with the oldest) of the Red Willow syrah and was blown away that, at the time, the 1988 vintage showed the best, and it was more than a decade in the bottle. This convinced me that syrah was here to stay in Washington. In fact, I've gone so far as to say that I believe the way syrah translates the unique terroir of our state, that it will eventually replace the Bordeaux varieties of cabernet sauvignon and merlot as the black grape we hang our hat on. Given that the syrah grape has been cultivated in France for centuries, and Washington has grown it a couple of decades, based on the rapid success of the grape here, that forecast is not too far off the mark. So, do you think you'd like to hop on the Washington syrah locomotive? That train leaves the station anytime you'd like, and it's highly likely that you'll enjoy the ride. Here are a few recommendations at different fares that this cork conductor believes will toot your whistle. Columbia Crest 2004 Columbia Valley Reserve Syrah, $23. This wine is crafted in a Cote Rotie style with a splash of co-fermented viognier to add a sweet orange peel, rose petal and pear nuance to an already complex wine. Classic new world syrah with one foot in the old as it boasts white pepper, cocoa and blueberry aromas and seductive, mouth-filling flavors (reflective of the Horse Heaven hills) of earthy, spicy notes with dark chocolate, raspberry and coffee leading to a long finish. Owen Roe 2005 "Ex Umbris" Columbia Valley Syrah, $24 Fully ripe and well-defined wine with fully ripe berries that run the length of this carefully crafted medium- to full-bodied offering, and the attractive hints of varietal pepper and briary spice that show up along the way are always second fiddle to its themes of sweet fruit. Supple, but not soft, and fit with soft, fine-grained tannins, it is an entirely approachable wine that invites early drinking, but it will age gracefully for five or six years. L'ecole No. 41 2005 Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah, $36 Wow! This is what we're talking about for Washington state syrah. A dense, ultra-ripe and loaded wine with gorgeous aromatics of Asian spice, cola and chocolate and flavors of ripe blueberry, dark plum and blackberry that give way to a long and memorable finish. You may have to look around or wait a bit as this wine has just been released, or you can go directly to the winery if patience is an issue -- which it should be as I'm sure it will evaporate quickly. Sequel 2005 Syrah, $55 The Long Shadows project spearheaded by winemaking and viticulture pioneer Alan Shoup has forged winemaking partnerships with world-renowned winemakers and the Sequel is collaboration with John Duval who, for 15 years, made Australia's most celebrated wine, Penfold's Grange. This wine is meant to be the "sequel" and it's living up to that reputation. From its deep, keenly focused and complex blackberry, pepper and coffee aromas through to its like-minded and lingering flavors, the wine is rich and involving with fine-grained tannins providing just the right note of structural grip. Its careful crafting makes it a wine that can be enjoyed even now, but we urge at least a few more years of aging if it is to show its very best face. Jeff Wicklund can be reached at 425-737-2600, 360-756-0422 or wick@purplesmilewines.com .

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