Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better and tasted from bottle, the 2010 La Cote Patriarche is a 100% Syrah, from vines planted in 1986, that’s all from Mike Sauer’s Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. More tannic, concentrated and firm than the 2011, it offers up a mineral-drenched bouquet of black pepper, blackberry, licorice and bloody meat. In need of cellar time, it has brilliant purity of fruit, integrated acidity and masses of tannin that clamp down on the finish. Give bottles another 3-4 years and enjoy over the following decade or more. Drink 2016-2026.
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Wine Spectator
Bright, juicy and well-shaped, with pretty raspberry and red currant flavors that segue into a mosaic of violet and white pepper notes, finishing with lively balance. Drink now through 2018. 248 cases made.
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.”
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.