Wall Street Journal Echoes Wine Peeps on Washington Syrah



By Kori ~ January 23rd, 2009.

20090123_syrahFor the last year, we have been touting the virtues of Syrah and Washington Syrah in particular. Now Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, wine writers for the Wall Street Journal, have joined our chorus. Their conclusion after tasting over 50 Washington Syrahs in blind flights over several nights:

“As a group, these are the most exciting red wines being made in America today that you might actually find on a shelf.”

That’s a pretty strong statement from two very experienced wine reviewers! Their favorite was the 2004 Dunham Cellars Columbia Valley Syrah, a wine we have also rated very highly.

Here are links to some of our posts that have featured Washington Syrah:

Four Up-and-Coming Washington State Wineries (12/1/2008)
Fielding Hills Syrah Vertical Tasting (11/3/2008)
Spotlight On: Fielding Hills (9/17/2008)
Wine Tasting Dinner: Pacific Northwest Syrah (8/20/2008)
Wow! A First for Us in Washington Syrah (8/8/2008)
Red Willow Vineyard: Wines We Tasted (7/30/2008)
Weekend in Walla Walla Valley (7/28/2008)
Red Willow Vineyard: The Mother of Washington Syrah (7/21/2008)

If you haven’t tried a Washington Syrah yet, what are you waiting for? If you have tried Washington Syrah, what did you think of it or what has been your favorite bottle?


Filed under: American Wine, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine

Reader's Comments

  1. Jared | January 26th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    As a Washington Syrah fanatic, I’ve drank enough WA syrah to last a couple lifetimes. I’d have to say my two favorite bottles have both been by Cayuse. The 2003 Bionic Frog and the 2005 En Chamberlin were mind blowingly Cayuse!

  2. Kori | January 27th, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    Thanks for sharing, Jared. As you already know, we have different palates when it comes to Cayuse. Christophe is a talented winemaker and has created quite a following with Cayuse; I’m hopeful that I’ll find one of his wines that I enjoy someday.

  3. Jared | January 30th, 2009 at 3:29 pm

    That’s right, I remember you guys not being a fan of a bottle of En Chamberlin in the past. Maybe try his tempranillo or bordeaux blends if you get a chance. Here’s some other WA syrahs I’ve enjoyed…04, 05 Abeja, K Vintners both Wells vineyard and the Beautiful, most vintages of Betz La Cote Rousse, Bunnell Clifton Hill, Syzygy, Buty Rediviva of the Stones…

  4. Lynnell Morgan | March 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    I justed tasted a Darby Syrah “The Dark Side: ’06. Great wine!!

  5. Kori | March 9th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

    Lynnell,
    Thanks for the recommendation. I have not had that Darby Syrah. I’ll have to look for it.