Found this great little tasting shop in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. The Tasting Room is a co-op winery tasting room dedicated to small boutique Washington State wineries. Many of the wines featured are limited production and hard-to-find.
It was a ridiculously cold day in Seattle--like 20 degrees or so and I had had enough walking around in this make-shift windy city. I bellied up to the bar at the Tasting Room and let proprietor Jen Doak take me on a tour of Washington State Syrah.
I am of the mind that Syrah could be the next big thing from our friends in the Pacific Northwest. The Syrah's I sampled seem to straddle the bridge between the big, overripe California style and the more austere Northern Rhone style. Nice show.
Camaraderie Cellars 'Clifton Vineyard' Syrah 2004--rich and complex, with notes of dark plum, cassis, and vanilla. Medium bodied. Lingering black plum on the finish.
JM Cellars Syrah 2003--rich and brooding aromas of black plum, tobacco, leather. Full bodied with a velvety finish.
Latitude 46N Syrah 2004--cedar, black cherry and blueberry on the nose, hint of leather. Medium bodied with lighter tannins.
Wilridge 'Elephant Mountain Vineyard' Syrah 2004--my favorite of the lot! Floral notes, almost like white lillies. Cinnamon spice followed by dark plum, blueberry and a touch of vanilla. Medium body with silky tannins. Note: This wine just arrived at OYA Restaurant & Lounge at 777 9th Street, NW.
The Tasting Room logo courtesy of www.winesofwashington.com
