- New Alliance of Women in Washington Wine already stands at 200 strong
- Bullocks bid goodbye to Eye of the Needle Winery in Woodinville
- VineLines Dispatch #7: That’s a wrap
- Former Oregon car dealer gears up with Jachter Family Wines
- VineLines Dispatch: 6 Vineyards at Work
- L’Ecole Nº 41 to create wine bar at Marcus Whitman Hotel
- VineLines Dispatch: Harvest surrounding Lake Chelan
- Northwest restaurateurs purchase Basel Cellars in Walla Walla
- Hayden Homes CEO buys interest in Pepper Bridge, Amavi wineries
- Walla Walla Community College to receive $15 million gift from MacKenzie Scott
Armstrong Family Winery 2013 The Scotsman Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $32
Perhaps the best region in the Pacific Northwest for a winemaker to develop an Aussie-style Shiraz would be Washington’s Wahluke Slope. Woodinville boutique producer Tim Armstrong goes into Riverbend Vineyard and pays homage to James Busby, the Scot credited with first establishing vineyards Down Under in the 1830s. Armstrong’s approach includes the favoring of American oak barrels, which help him build the aromas of dark toast and chocolate with Marionberry and blueberry, menthol and mint. A generous and jammy entry of blackberry and blueberry mixes with chocolate-covered pomegranate on the midpalate, leading to the round and rich finish that neatly tucks the tannins into the back with dark toast. Fortunately, production has been doubled over the 2012 vintage.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 96 cases
Alcohol: 14.1%
Subscribe to Thursday’s Wine of the Week newsletter
0 comments