William vonMetzger and his team at Walla Walla Vintners continue to offer one of the Northwest’s best examples of this food-friendly Italian grape, and it starts with their selection of vineyards that include Sagemoor, Seven Hills and Kiona. Syrah (9%) from Birch Creek and the Walla Walla Vintners Estate Vineyard provides the secret sauce that adds mouth feel, while 15 months in primarily neutral oak barrels bevels the edges. The drink is filled with dusty cherry, cocoa powder and white pepper with a pulse of citrus. It is bright, rich and succulent as acidity — not tannin — leads the lengthy structure that merited a silver medal at the third annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 1,007 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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