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 Vintage2010 Label 1 of 13 
TypeRed
ProducerSleight of Hand (web)
VarietySyrah
DesignationThe Funkadelic
Vineyardn/a
CountryUSA
RegionWashington
SubRegionColumbia Valley
AppellationWalla Walla Valley

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2014 and 2022 (based on 21 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Sleight of Hand Syrah The Funkadelic on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 93 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 35 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by knorthrip on 9/23/2022 & rated 92 points: More muted than before. (656 views)
 Tasted by Winning_Wines on 6/22/2020 & rated 93 points: This just screamed Sleight of Hand syrah right from the start. Loads of olives, hints of game meats, tobacco, dark fruits, with well incorporated rounded tannins and mellow oak. This was really great. (1185 views)
 Tasted by knorthrip on 12/25/2019 & rated 94 points: Dk cherry and blackberry with menthol, rare beef, black olives, herbs de provence, smoke, and leather. There also a hint of something floral. Elegant, dark, and complex. Very nice wine. (1296 views)
 Tasted by AGELVIS on 8/10/2017 & rated 97 points: PNP. I'm told this was from the winery owner's private cellar. The name of the wine has changed now due to a legal challenge (the bottle is almost a collector's item). Deep, dark, inky color. Jerky, cola, blackberry, pepper and beets on the nose. Rich, smooth, dry palate (nice middle of the tongue acidity) with an herbaceous (think fresh cut grass) quality. Long, mouth filling finish with firm, rounded tannins. Absolutely unique, wonderful Syrah. (3005 views)
 Tasted by RPerro on 4/9/2017 & rated 93 points: P&P. Big red and black fruit, tobacco, bacon fat and that amazing Rocks funk! Drinking well, probably at peak. Drink now - 2020. (3060 views)
 Tasted by RPerro on 8/27/2016 & rated 92 points: Great stuff...P&P and poured through an elk head aerator. Don't ask. Nice and funk, just how I like it. Black fruit, pepper, smoked meat. Delicious and drinking very well. Drink now - 2020+. (3279 views)
 Tasted by Mtpisgah on 7/10/2016: Popped and poured a small glass. Similar experience to the bottle I opened on 2013, just not good, and I like funkiness. The second and third days it was better but frankly it is just too big. I think I will pass in the future. (3039 views)
 Tasted by isaacjamesbaker on 1/1/2016 & rated 92 points: Rich, structured, smoky, earthy, black olives with coffee and herbs. Wow. Rich and bold with a core and black and blue berry fruit, but earthy abd full of olives and savory tones. Intriguing wine, still time ahead. (3721 views)
 Tasted by knorthrip on 12/27/2014 & rated 93 points: Big but well balanced and elegant. After a 1 hour decant has strawberry and dark cherry fruit. Herbaceous, smoky, and funky with notes of cocoa in the mid palate with bacon fat at the finish. 93 now but still young--will likely score it higher over next several years. (3587 views)
 Tasted by lirvingham on 12/20/2014 & rated 94 points: Holy crap we loved this wine. First one we have tasted. Rocks on nose but big fruit as well. Palate as well truly shows some of the rocky vineyard characteristics. We were scared we opened it too early but it is tasting super. Loads of time as well of course. (3481 views)
 Tasted by jimmyrice14 on 7/12/2014 & rated 94 points: Bravo SOH...huge fruit and well balanced. Another winner from Trey and the gang. (2587 views)
 Tasted by jimmyrice14 on 2/8/2014 & rated 94 points: Fantastic effort by SOH...huge fruit, opened up nicely in the decanter via the Venturi but could use a few more years in the cellar to fully develop. (2946 views)
 Tasted by Mtpisgah on 3/15/2013: Not sure if this bottle was good. Popped and poured a glass and decanted the rest for an hour. Neither the first pour or decanted pour had much on the palate. To the point that I was ready to cork it and return it. The second night though it had opened enough that it was very enjoyable. The second bottle we have will either be aged more decanted for at least eight hours.

I don't really see the tariff for this wine although the Archimage is A++. (3223 views)
 Tasted by jreis on 2/22/2013: Decanted for 90 minutes. Chocolate, mocha and a dash of black pepper initially. Seemed over the top at first with big heavy sweet palate, but with some time, the balance of the wine started to show more clearly. still lots of brown sugar, but nice vibrant acidic spine and some cooler blue fruits to go with the mocha. (2679 views)
 Tasted by russdan60 on 1/5/2013 & rated 94 points: Much MUCH better than the first time I had this. Lost the raspberry jaminess and found its lasting flavor. Nice very good bottle. (3060 views)
 Tasted by KeithAkers on 11/6/2012 & rated 92 points: Nose: there is a nice savory backdrop to this along with a dark fruit core of black cherries, licorice, smoke, black fruits and some black pepper.

Taste: there are very good tannins to this right now. Full bodied with a really good feel underneath the tannins. There is good balance with very good tones of black cherries, licorice, black pepper, and black fruits.

Overall: this is a real quality syrah. It was decanted for around 4 hrs. In need of sleep, this should improve with age. (2717 views)
 Tasted by russdan60 on 10/20/2012 & rated 92 points: Popped and poured. Recommended by Morgan Twain Peterson of Bedrock. Funky is right. Lots of raspberry on the front end. Improved with a bit of air. Very smooth. Enjoyable. (2598 views)
 Tasted by JoshandAnnaWine on 6/25/2012 & rated 95 points: This is a very unique and complex/delicious wine. The wine shows the true character of "The Rocks" with a mouthfeel of a supple, aged wine. The WW AVA typically shows syrah with a velvety, smooth mouthfeel and this one doesn't disappoint. Steady, solid fruits which match nicely with the nose and a lingering finish truly set this one apart from others (especially one not from WW Valley). It could probably use a year or two in the cellar but also doesn't disappoint with a 2+ hour bottle decant. The top of a great flight of syrah from WW & CV, even with Syrah newbies this showed by far the best. (2475 views)
 Tasted by caeleric on 5/1/2012: 1 hour decant and consumed 40/60 over two days. day 1 was paired with grilled lamb and day 2 was paired with spice-rubbed grilled pork tenderloin.

day 1 this was absolutely spectacular. it had a HUGE nose of roasted meat, toned-down cayuse-type funk, blueberry extract, warm caramel, spice rack, blackberry cobbler, and slate. the palate was enormously concentrated and flavorful, packing tons of mouthcoating black fruits and more funky minerality. the long, sappy finish was deeply-fruited, big and rich, and everything i could have asked for on a monday night. i vaulted this immediately into my top 5 wines of 2012 and was ready to give it a range of 94-96. until...

day 2 this went into hiding. the nose pulled back significantly, letting the alcohol burn off most of the delicious aromas from day 1. stinging alcohol poked out in the mouth and the finish, which was shorter and not as "wow"-worthy as day 1. still tasty, and still very much worth the price of entry, but not as explosive.

my overall impression is that this is very young, and probably needs another 6 mo's to a year to balance out. it will drink great for a very long time. if scoring where it is right now, 91-93. (2602 views)
 Tasted by manonthemoon on 4/6/2012 & rated 93 points: Pacific Northwest Tasting Trip, Day 3; 4/4/2012-4/12/2012 (Portland, Or, Walla Walla, WA, Waitsburg, WA): Small taste at the winery with Trey.
Nose was of dark blackberry, earthy funk, and ground pepper.
Palate of blackberry, with blueberry skins, lots of funk and a good amount of pepper.
Finish was long in length, great acidity, and nice structure and great mouthfeel.
My favorite of the lineup, really good stuff. 93-94 (2896 views)
 Tasted by Vinomarcus on 2/3/2012 & rated 95 points: The wines of Sleight of Hand & Va Piano with Trey Busch and Justin Wylie (Peter Pratt's Inn): Whoa Nellie!! This was a huge but not over-the-top wine, the initial attack was in your face blast of black fruit, roasted game, anise, coffee beans, and then it settled down just a bit mid palate, deep and layered wine with a whole lot going on. This is a great wine that rivals the best Syrah's being produced in Washington. (3083 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Issue #12 (6/23/2012)
(Sleight of Hand Syrah The Funkadelic) Login and sign up and see review text.
By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (8/8/2012)
(Sleight of Hand Cellars Funkadelic Syrah Walla Walla Valley) An intensely aromatic wine full of earthy funk, iron, smoked meat, ash, light floral notes, and black olive juice. The palate is perfumed and soft with a plush feel and grainy tannins. 98% Syrah co-fermented with 2% Viognier. Funk Family Vineyard. Aged 11 months in French oak (16% new). 14.7% alcohol. 150 cases produced.  ***** points
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Sleight of Hand

Producer website

Syrah

Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)

Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent.

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

Washington

Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article

Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.

Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.

Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.

Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.

Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.

History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.

State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.

Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon Rimmerman

Columbia Valley

Columbia Cascade Winery Association

The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.

Walla Walla Valley

The name translates as easily as it rolls off the tongue: Walla Walla. Many Waters. To the earliest Native tribes, the many waters came from the nearby Blue Mountains and gathered to form the Walla Walla River on its way to join the Columbia to the west. The waters flowed first; however, into a fair-sized Valley carved in the mountain's foothills, and bordered in part by the terrain of what is known as the Columbia Plateau. Tribal members knew the Valley's generally milder climate could maintain their people in winter villages. There were lush wild grasses which could sustain horses and attract game from the winter snows of the nearby Blues, or from the giant high plateau that becomes desolate and dangerous during the cold season. The rolling terrain and numerous watersheds offered protection from nature and other hazards of the day. Here the water was plentiful and full of fish and seldom froze, even in the coldest years. The meadows were wonderful places to gather with other people to trade, compete and celebrate treaties. Compared to the region around them, the Walla Walla Valley was a safe refuge from the treacherous conditions which can often be found during the winter for hundreds of miles around. In this unique growing region, most of the earliest records of grapes and winemaking reference the Italians who had immigrated here in the mid to late 1800's and who brought with them their tradition of growing, making and drinking wine. Vines with these origins still exist in the Valley today. The first post-prohibition winery was Blue Mountain Vineyards. It was bonded in 1950 by the Pesciallo family where they produced Black Prince and other Italian varietal wines for a period of several years before succumbing to economics and climate. To the wine world of today, Walla Walla has become know for the quality and style of its red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Syrah gaining notoriety in recent years. In the1970's, the pioneers of today's wine community began to think similar thoughts: that the Walla Walla Valley, with its long history of fruit growing, moderate climate, wine-making heritage, and interesting terrain might just be a place to grow vines and make wine on a commercial scale. These pioneers of the region applied for and received approval of the Walla Walla Valley as a unique American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1984. It was the third in Washington State and also includes a portion of land in Oregon. In the time leading to the recognition of the appellation, four wineries had been bonded starting with Leonetti Cellar, and shortly thereafter, Woodward Canyon. L'Ecole Nº 41 and Waterbrook soon followed. In addition to the smaller vineyards that were being planted, the Valley's first large-scale, commercial vineyard Seven Hills was established. By the time the BATF recognized the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the Valley was beginning to gain attention from within the wine industry, as well as attracting publicity from journalists and media outside the region. The foundation for today’s industry had been laid and the benchmark for quality had been set. In addition, fruit from the area was now being harvested and a baseline for understanding the local growing conditions was being constructed. Every few years another winery would join the fold and take up the challenge of producing the highest quality wine and the growing of outstanding fruit. Seven Hills Winery and Patrick M. Paul each got their start during this time. More vines were added, although acreage increases were small each year. The industry was small and everyone knew everyone else involved, while the welcome mat remained out for any newcomers. Growers and winemakers alike regularly shared time in the cellar or at the table and together learned more about wines and vines. By 1990 there were just six wineries and the Valley's grape acreage stood at perhaps 100 acres. The total collective production of wine was microscopic by any measure, but it was the quality that was being noticed by many inside and outside the trade. As the tiny trickle of wine produced in the Walla Walla AVA began to flow to the outside world, a "wine renaissance" was beginning to happen globally. The Pacific Northwest had staked a claim in this new wine world and as people learned about the region, they also began to hear about Walla Walla. This interest spread rapidly to those with Walla Walla connections. The early 1990s saw the planting of more vines and the establishment of another large-scale vineyard, Pepper Bridge. At the same time, a group of local investors, working closely with the Napa based Chalone Wine group, laid the foundation for Canoe Ridge Vineyard, the Valley's first winery supported in part by a major outside investor. As the industry has grown, many new wineries have gotten their start in the arms of an established winery. Waterbrook Winery's modern production facility started the trend, sharing space, equipment, and any help needed. Other wineries also adopted “extra guests,” a practice that has helped form close, personal relationships throughout the local industry. By the turn of the new century, the Walla Walla Valley wine industry had 22 wineries and 800 acres of grapes. In the year 2000 the AVA had been expanded back to the original boundaries proposed in the1984 application. The year 2000 also saw the formation of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance with 100% of the Valley's wineries and 98% of the Valley's planted acreage represented. Today, more than 60 Walla Walla Valley wineries and more than 1,200 acres of Walla Walla Valley grapes contribute to the ever growing, international acclaim garnered by the wines of this newly-emerging region of Washington State.

 
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