- 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
Echolands Winery 2018 Les Collines Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $38
As the latest “Rhône Ranger” to ride into the Pacific Northwest, Doug Frost is the latest Master of Wine to set up shop in the Walla Walla Valley and create a serious cool-climate example of Syrah that offers a bit of crunch, sans the funk. An attractive nose of blueberry, lavender, mint and marshmallow includes a dash of white pepper. More purple fruit comes through on the palate — Marionberry pie, boysenberry and more blueberry — as the inclusion of stems (75%) at fermentation brings a subtle sense of the “nervier” tannin structure that Frost says he desires. And the pomegranate juice in the finish takes the food-friendly approach to another level. Frost harvested this McKibben-controlled site early than most in the first attempt at this style for his new brand, and resident winemaker Taylor Oswald helped to achieve a standard going forward.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 350 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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