The first Platinum awarded to Victor Palencia came in our 2009 judging, and it was for the 2006 Syrah he made for Jones of Washington with Columbia Basin fruit. He’s moved onto Red Mountain for the Syrah program under his reserve tier, and this is an elevated expression. There’s the deep color and rich feel of an Aussie Shiraz, bringing along smooth tones of blackberry jam and a fistful of Bing cherries, as well as peach and straw notes to keep it from becoming ponderous. It carries some weight, yet there’s panache, too. Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold).
Rating: Platinum, 96 points
Production: 96 cases
Alcohol: 14.9%
Leave a Reply