Sequel Syrah 2015
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Winemaker Notes
Blend: 93% Syrah 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Incorporating 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Sequel Syrah wasn’t destemmed and spent 18 months in 65% new French oak. Its inky purple color is followed by a huge nose of blackberry liqueur, espresso roast, scorched earth, and dark chocolate. This is followed by a full-bodied, beautiful Syrah that has remarkable freshness and purity, fine tannin, and a great, great finish. It's always a pedal-to-the-metal effort, yet the 2015 stays beautifully fresh and lively on the palate. This is certainly one of the finest vintages to date.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, blueberries and black licorice follow through to the medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins and a checked, fine finish. Drink and enjoy.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Syrah Sequel (which includes 7% Cabernet Sauvignon) unfurls in the glass with notes of sweet cassis and black fruit that mingle with notions of rich grilled meats and toasty oak that's better integrated than in the 2014 Vintage Select Bin 898, which is also reviewed in this report. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and powerful, with a sweet core of fruit and a chewy chassis of fine-grained tannins that are going to require a few years' bottle age.
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Wine Spectator
Focused and expressive, with lively raspberry, spice and licorice flavors that linger. Drink now through 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a blend of fruit from Boushey, Den Hoed, Bacchus, Sonnet and Candy Mountain vineyards. The Boushey contribution (32%) shows itself, with aromas of bacon fat, char, orange peel and iron in front of barrel spice (65% new French), boysenberry and blackberry. The fruit flavors are pitch black, with plenty of oak and meat accents that lead to a warm finish. The tannins seem unresolved and the oak is a bit heavy handed, but there are still good things going on.
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After 16 years as winemaker for Australia’s iconic Penfolds Grange, John Duval came to the Columbia Valley in 2003 as the “Sequel” to his life’s work with Syrah.
A generous and concentrated wine of great character, Sequel is notable for its deep purple hue, rich aromatics and layers of flavor. Almond, dark chocolate and cherry notes fill the glass, complimented by hints of black licorice, blackberry, cocoa powder and a touch of smoke.
Sequel is one of six distinct red wines from Long Shadows Vintners - a collection of ultra-premium wines, each built on the unique expertise of some of the world’s most knowledgeable winemakers to showcase the quality and caliber of Washington State’s Columbia Valley.
Since the beginning, Long Shadows' Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Gilles Nicault, has overseen the operations of the winery and worked closely with the vintners to bring each winemaker’s vision to completion. Internationally renowned winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather Cabernet Sauvignon); John Duval (Sequel Syrah); Philippe Melka (Pirouette Red Wine); and Michel Rolland (Pedestal Merlot) are active partners in their respective wines. Gilles now crafts Poet’s Leap Riesling and Saggi, a Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, in styles that remain true to their original winemakers, Armin Diel and Giovanni Folonari respectively. Gilles crafts Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend, independently.
Gilles works closely with the state’s top growers to execute a diverse winemaking protocol at Long Shadows’ state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla to produce wines of exceptional quality, true to the Columbia Valley’s terroir.
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.