Saviah Cellars 2015 The Jack Syrah, Columbia Valley, $18
An all-star winemaker who aligns himself with a constellation of renowned vineyards such as Elephant Mountain, Lewis, Lonesome Spring and Pepper Bridge can stitch together a Syrah that’s essentially a GSM-style red with components of Syrah (76%), Grenache (12%) and Mourvèdre (12%). And so Walla Walla winemaker Richard Funk goes beyond his estate sites Dugger Creek and Watermill for a stunning Syrah that’s less than half the price of many of his neighbors, offering a theme of dark plum, boysenberry and light oak joined by a mist of orange oil, a pinch of moist earth and fresh herbs along a track of resolved tannins. It claimed best of class for Syrah, then the “Bargain” Bob Woehler Memorial Award for best Washington wine and onto the title of best red before coming up a couple votes shy of best of show at the 2017 Cascadia.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 2,574 cases
Alcohol: 14.4%
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