Wine & Spirits - October 2020 - 103

US NEW RELEASES
bright red fruit in a firm, sinewy package. A
wine for lamb. -P.J.C. §
521492

94 | Quilceda Creek

$200

2016 Red Mountain Galitzine Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon ^ From Quilceda's
17-acre high-density Red Mountain planting devoted entirely to Clone 8 cabernet
sauvignon, this wine is a masculine expression of Red Mountain, with its windborne
herb scents of wild sage, cigar box, cedar and
smoke, its concentrated fruit limned with a
dark espresso accent. The wine tastes as if a
compote of dark berry fruit was drizzled with
olive oil, the textures powerful, gripping,
flecked with fine soil tannins that feel granular and long. This is a baby. Cellar. -P.J.C. §
521343

91 | Col Solare

$75

2017 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ^
Col Solare's flagship red, this has a demonstrative cedar scent and flavors of blueberry
and black cherry. It's a powerful wine, dense
and tannic, with a furry, suedelike texture
that stops just short of excess. It needs time
in the cellar before uncorking it for lamb.
-P.J.C. §
521365
90 L'Ecole No 41
$59

2017 Walla Walla Valley Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon ^ Drawn from two estate vineyards, Ferguson, on the Sevein hillside, and
Seven Hills, downhill, this wine is powerfully
savory, with scents of cedar and tobacco,
and flavors of spiced cherry and cocoa, all of
which should grow more complex with some
bottle age. -P.J.C. (475 cases) §

here), this wine smells like a spectacular
arrangement of purple flowers, pink peppercorns and coolly elegant fruit. It feels
especially well constructed in 2017, the texture fluid and invigorating, framed with an
undercurrent of fine basalt dust. It's poised
to age beautifully; then uncork it for smoked
pork chops. -P.J.C. (73 cases) §
521429

93 | Big Table Farm

$48

2017 The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater Funk Vineyard Syrah ^ Big Table Farm's
foray into the Rocks feels true to form, delivered with winemaker Brian Marcy's hallmark
clarity. It smells of carob and cocoa, clove and
allspice, a rich interpretation of the Rocks'
exotic profile. The fig and blackberry flavors
are generous but decidedly not rich, offset
by impressive acidity and sinewy tannins.
-P.J.C. (145 cases) §
521412

93 | W.T. Vintners

$49

2017 Yakima Valley Grande Côte Vineyard Syrah ^ Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen's 2017 from
Grande Côte feels like it's in an unformed
state at present, a churning mix of savory
elements-iodine, black cherry, dark herbs,
smoke, olive and fine white pepper. Despite
the tumult, the texture is sleek and suedelike, buoyed by blackberry and black cherry
flavors. This needs time in the cellar to knit.
-P.J.C. (101 cases) §

SYRAH

92 | Reynvaan

$90

92 | Reynvaan

$110

2017 Walla Walla Valley The Contender
Syrah ^ Rocks syrah meets a dollop of marsanne in this wine. It smells of creosote
branches, tobacco and walnut skin, and
tastes of sweet fig and blackberry, with
enough acidity to pair with barbecue. -P.J.C.
(635 cases) §
521438
2017 Walla Walla Valley Stonessence
Syrah ^ Stonessence is Matt Reynvaan's
reserve bottling. In 2017, it's musky and feral,
with scents of clove, cinnamon and distant
smoke, and deep, powerful, juicy fruit flavors. It is modestly rich but there's an acid
brightness at the core, and tannins fine
enough for flank steak. -P.J.C. (429 cases) §
521439

92 | The Unnamed Series

$25

91 | aMaurice Cellars

$42

2017 Walla Walla Valley Christmas Cuvée
Syrah (Best Buy) ^ This is a well-priced introduction to the Reynvaan portfolio. It's dark
and rich, with scents of blackberry and
molasses and a bit of oak char. The flavors
take on a kind of Lapsang-souchong smokiness, carried on a suave suedelike texture.
It's supple and ready for barbecue. -P.J.C.
(292 cases) §
521331
2018 Yakima Valley Boushey Vineyard
Syrah ^ A dark-robed syrah, this leads with
the variety's classic cool-weather scents of
thyme, olive, clove and white pepper. The
flavors are dark and compelling, with an
earthy core of black fruits and suave tannins;
for barbecue. -P.J.C. (251 cases) §

521408

95 | W.T. Vintners

$49

2017 Walla Walla Valley Damavian Les
Collines Vineyard Syrah ^ The 2017 Damavian is just as impressive as the 2016, reflecting, for starters, the consistency of Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen's winemaking, which is gentle
and hands-off, a healthy rendering of whole
clusters, cool, ambient-yeast fermentations.
This is a very cool expression of Les Collines,
tense and endlessly flavorful, with notes of
blackberries and peppercorn, violets and
smoke, all coming in generous, luscious
waves. It feels elegant and seamless, poised
between assertive flavors and delicate structure. -P.J.C. (385 cases) §
521409

94 | W.T. Vintners

$49

2017 Yakima Valley Boushey Vineyard
Syrah ^ This distills its cool-climate vineyard
to its essence. Made in a similarly hands-off
fashion as Damavian (also recommended

521374

92 | L'Ecole No 41

$37

2017 Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah ^ Seven Hills typically puts out an
elegant, smoke-tinged syrah, with glimmers
of red fruit and garrigue herbs peeking out
from the dark flavors. This vintage gives off
scents of sage, green olive and sandalwood
adorning fruit that straddles both dark and
light berry flavors. The end effect is generous and complex, suitable for leg of lamb.
-P.J.C. (1,060 cases) §
521435

521330

90 | àMaurice Cellars

$45

2018 Walla Walla Valley Fred Syrah ^ A
warm iteration of syrah from the Uplands
region of Walla Walla, this has high-toned
scents of peppercorn and clove, and even a
mildly tropical fruit scent. Its flavors are all
mocha and blackberries, more raven than the
hummingbird on the label might suggest.
-P.J.C. (698 cases) § n

WINE & SPIRITS

OCTOBER 2020

103

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Wine & Spirits - October 2020

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