The Magnificent Wine Company Syrah 2007
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Wine Spectator
Bold, focused and elegantly balanced, playing it's blueberry, black cherry and white pepper flavors against fine tannins and an open texture. Drink now through 2014. 2,000 cases made.
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Wine & Spirits
As thick as blueberry pie, this big-shouldered syrah has plenty of chewy oak and plummy fruit. For all its exhuberance, a mineral through line keeps the wine on track. Serve with sausages off the grill.
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2006-
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Washington State is the nation's second largest producer of premium wines. Recently recognized by Wine Enthusiast magazine as "Wine Region of the Year", the high-quality, premium wines have earned the state international recognition, critical acclaim and legions of loyal consumers. It's a winning combination that translates into success in the marketplace.
Washington's success with vinifera grapes is due in large measure to the state's unique geography. The vineyards are planted on the east side of the Cascade Mountains which serve to protect the region from marine weather off the Pacific coast and limit rainfall to just 6-8 inches annually. Low rainfall and free-draining soils allow vineyard managers to control vine vigor in order to promote flavor development. Warm daytime temperatures ripen fruit to perfection, while cool autumn nights protect the grapes' natural acidity.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.