Winemaker Notes
Blend: 95% Syrah, 3% Grenache, 1% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich, opulent red with plush red fruit, such as redcurrants, as well as cloves and black pepper. Medium to full body. Lovely flavors and a delicious finish. This is nicely together and complex. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Syrah The Pundit Columbia Valley is another deeply colored 2017 and offers a big, rich, medium to full-bodied profile that carries classic Syrah peppery herbs, chocolate, and darker fruits, with a touch of gaminess emerging with time in the glass. Nicely textured, balanced, and lengthy, this incredibly satisfying Syrah does everything right. It should drink nicely for 5-6 years or more.
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Wine & Spirits
Tenet is Ste. Michelle’s joint effort with Philippe Cambie, a French wine consultant and oenologist. The 2017 is a lively red, with scents of smoked meat and tobacco, and red fruit that feels both linear and juicy. It’s straightforward and irresistible; for the grill
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.