2019 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

In a recent tasting of Washington Syrahs at various price points, this finished first (and the 2021 vintage finished second). Impressive. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black raspberries, char, roasted meats, fresh sage, and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Nice acidity. On the palate, this is delicious with black raspberries, some boysenberries, black pepper and char. Long finish. This has a nice depth to it. It drinks well on its own and will work with bigger foods. It would be nice with grilled vegetables over rice. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2019

Current Price:

$28.00USD

Merlot vs Syrah: Which Varietal Blooms Brightest in Washington?

Say “Oregon” and Pinot Noir comes to mind. Argentina? Malbec. And who can say “Shiraz” without thinking of Australia? But what grape will Washington wine country claim as it’s own as it expands in production and popularity? There are so many red treasures in this state, sometimes it is hard to say. But after my luscious Saturday tasting, I’m thinking Syrah and Merlot may duke it out for the prize.

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2020 Barnard Griffin Syrah, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$14.00USD

Good showing for this value driven Syrah from Washington. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, clay, slight bacon fat, black pepper and spice. Medium bodied. Medium tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, this is slightly drying with flavors of boysenberries and some char. Moderate finish. This will drink well on its own and work with many foods. Grilled Portobellos would be a good match. Drink over the next seven to ten years.

2021 Barnard Griffin Syrah, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$20.00USD

Tasted blind side by side with the 2020, this seemed a bit better. Inky purple in color, shimmering bright and opaque. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, char and roasted meats. Full bodied. Medium tannins. The nose is better than the palate right now but its young and that should change. Soft texture. Flavors of black raspberries, slight black pepper and char. Good finish. This is a great value. It is nice on its own and should work well with many foods. A nice choice for grilled meats or veggies.

2021 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$26.00USD

2015 Charles Smith Syrah Boom Boom, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

A-

In a tasting, two bottles were tasted side by side. They showed differently. Was it because the wines were in a different place in the line-up or the bottles came from different stores and had been treated differently? Hard to say, but tasted in a group, we had different reactions. There is an inherent bias that blind tasting removes prejudices and it probably does, but it also introduces its own set of biases that can not be discounted. Bottle #1 was the first glass tasted while bottle #2 was the 9th.

2019 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

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