Winemaker Notes
2011 was a cool year in the DuBrul Vineyard, yet full ripening occurred. Huckleberry, marionberry, dark cherry and spice are prevalent on the nose, and are accompanied by white pepper, violets, and mineral notes on the palate. Deep purple in color, this wine demands attention as soon as it is poured in the glass. The purity of fruit and length of finish are testaments to the hillside vines.
An excellent pairing with roast duck, rack of lamb with cherry gastrique, or triple chocolate terrine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is lightly herbal and beautifully complex. The fruit is a sweetly ripe mix of boysenberry and blueberry, notched with highlights of pepper and leaf. Everything is supported with perfectly proportioned acids and fine-tuned tannins. Cellar Selection
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Wine Spectator
Rich and expressive, this plush, complex Syrah brims with blueberry, black plum and subtle spice notes. A layer of dried tomato and bay leaf adds extra nuances to the finish. Offers presence and depth. Drink now through 2020.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Syrah is a beautiful, clean and classy effort that exudes bright blackberry fruit, damp earth, truffle, pepper and underbrush-styled aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, with solid mid-palate depth and a seamless, elegant profile, it’s a resounding success in the vintage and will drink well over the coming decade.
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.