Tenet The Pundit Syrah 2016
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The color is deep ruby with garnet highlights. Raspberry jam and citrus with soy and earthy undertone aromas are complemented by a brambly, subtle meaty character. A smooth mouthfeel glides into a long silky finish with flavors of juicy blueberry, hints of tobacco and subtle gamey undertones.
Blend: 90% Syrah, 4% Grenache, 4% Mourvedre, and 2% Viognier.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very complex and fragrant syrah that derives, in part, from whole-cluster fermentation and there’s a core of ripe summer berries and red plums that are dressed in fresh-ground spices. The silky palate carries plenty of ripe blackberry and blue-fruit flavors. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Syrah The Pundit is more streamlined yet has good complexity in its dark berry fruits, ground herbs, and peppery aromas and flavors. Medium bodied, silky and elegant on the palate, with fine tannins, it offers plenty of upfront charm today but also has the balance and length to evolve nicely for 4-6 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Pinches of Grenache (4%), Mourvèdre (4%) and Viognier (2%) round out this wine, providing lovely accents. The aromas show notes of flower, orange peel, raspberry candy, dried herb and cherry. The palate is full bodied and rich, with the tannins bringing some grip. Raspberry notes linger on the finish.
Other Vintages
2019-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling -
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Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
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Spirits
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James
Suckling -
Wine &
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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James
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Robert
Parker -
Wilfred
Wong -
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
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Enthusiast -
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Spectator
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Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
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Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
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Enthusiast -
Wine &
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Tenet Wines is a partnership with the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winemaking team, along with Rhône Valley collaborators, winemaker Michel Gassier and the late enology consultant Philippe Cambie. It is a collection of wines from both the Columbia Valley in Washington state and the Costiéres de Nîmes AOC featuring Rhône-style varietals. At Tenet wines, they convinced that Washington state is an exceptional terror for Syrah and its Rhone Valley brethren. This partnership project establishes a parallel between Syrah’s cradle and most renowned region, the Rhone Valley, and its tremendous potential on Washington’s basaltic slopes.
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.