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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2013 and 2018 (based on 11 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 95 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by JasonG on 1/12/2023: Finally way past it’s prime, brown, shoe polish, no fruit or character left. Should have expected this but hoped for one last great visit from this rebooked Olsen Syrah. Alas. (189 views) | | | Tasted by Fugu Me on 8/19/2020: PnP, showing well and proving that WA Syrah can age. (612 views) | | | Tasted by Fugu Me on 3/16/2020: This continues to provide absolutely ridiculous QPR. PnP, this is in a great spot now and appears to have at least a few more years of life. (684 views) | | | Tasted by geexploitation on 12/16/2018: Good stuff, but on its way out. Still some savory notes and earth, but the fruit is pretty much gone at this point. (780 views) | | | Tasted by TMBWine on 10/21/2018 & rated 89 points: Not the best Syrah ever, but enjoyable nonetheless. Good balance, nice dark fruit, but not a lot of depth. A bit past its peak, but still quite drinkable. An excellent wine for the price. Wish I had bought about 6 more bottles. (968 views) | | | Tasted by by on 10/30/2017: Final bottle of one of my favorite wines. Yep it's over its best.
But still, thanks to Olsen Family, Vinum/For a Song, Full Pull, and really, sadly, the horrible financial crash that brought this wine to me. (1494 views) | | | Tasted by by on 3/17/2017: Still drinking well. So glad I stocked up on this. Only a couple of bottles left though. (1349 views) | | | Tasted by Fugu Me on 7/12/2016: PnP. Ready to go right away. Based on this bottle, it has peaked. Red and black fruit, silky on the palate. It did not evolve much after opening, and was in decline when revisited on Day 2. Very enjoyable, but time to drink, not hold. (1785 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 3/27/2016 & rated 89 points: Red and black fruit, soft tannins, medium acidity. Decent finish. (1143 views) | | | Tasted by donknotts on 2/22/2016 & rated 87 points: Very nice but not as complex as I remember. Air didn't open it up much more. Nice but not special. (1976 views) | | | Tasted by Mtpisgah on 1/24/2016: Much improved over the last bottle we opened. Nothing fancy but w good WA Syrah. (1574 views) | | | Tasted by mhoonchild on 12/21/2015 & rated 91 points: Lovely syrah nose and garnet color, and big rich flavors. A well-balanced wine with a medium-long finish. Definitely a great value for a well-made Columbia Valley syrah. Wish I had more! (1231 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 7/14/2015 & rated 89 points: Still drinking very nicely. No notes taken. (1023 views) | | | Tasted by schwank on 6/10/2015: I opened this bottle last week but only consumed a glass before leaving it on the counter totally forgotten. After two days with just a standard stopper my wife put it in the fridge. 4 days later I pulled it out, let it warm up a bit... and this wine surprised the heck out of me. I was not expecting much tonight but this has a nice complexity with black brambly fruit and smoky meat, which offset the slightly hot finish. So I say about 6 days of bottle aeration... or at the very least a few hours to get the best out of this wine. It would have been very interesting to see what Olsen could have become, but alas... (1120 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 3/16/2015 & rated 89 points: Delicious. Notes consistent with previous. (863 views) | | | Tasted by Leomania on 1/31/2015 & rated 90 points: Didn't pull out the blue fruit in this bottle as in the previous one last year. Black fruit with a bit of smoke, cacao, fine tannins and good acidity. Excellent QPR, no big hurry to finish up. (1086 views) | | | Tasted by ccotton8 on 1/17/2015 & rated 90 points: Pnp'd, it was ready for business right away. It was soft and supple with nice acidity to give some depth. The fruit was nice, this Syrah tended more on the lighter red fruit side. This was an easy drinker and paired very well with hot pastrami sandwiches. I miss getting to buy these full pull gems. (1077 views) | | | Tasted by schwank on 12/11/2014: Consumed over a couple nights... this wine is just very basic at this time. Dark fruit but not a lot of extended character. Not sure how much I expect for $12, but I do remember younger bottles of this having a bit more depth. (1034 views) | | | Tasted by Pedroel on 11/20/2014 & rated 92 points: What a surprise! 2.5 years since the last one. Way beyond standard syrah flavors and mouthfeel. Just the right amount of funky bacon. Lingering finish. Very satisfying. (1016 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisinCowiche on 10/31/2014 & rated 88 points: One of the standard bottles of this wine. I think maybe I have tired of it. Or it is a bit tired. (1343 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisinCowiche on 9/17/2014 & rated 87 points: Bottle variation again I think. This one was a bit hot and not as structured as others. Maybe temp driven, but mainly alcohol I think. (1308 views) | | | Tasted by Champagneinhand on 7/10/2014 & rated 87 points: Day number one was bad for this misplaced bottle. it seemed hot and thin, so I left in the decanter. The next day it had thickened up in the mouthfeel, tannin and acids were in good form, but an entry level wine with dark fruits not much else. (1765 views) | | | Tasted by Kevincrouch on 7/6/2014: Much better than anticipated, but this appears to have hit its drinking window. Many oak notes on the nose and good woody black fruit through the middle. Didn't hold up to the Amavi Syrah in a blind tasting. (1291 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisinCowiche on 6/27/2014 & rated 91 points: This bottle is really good. Full nose of lavender and smooth black blue fruits. Palate follow suit and easy drinking. Great with pizza at the end of a long week. (1385 views) | | | Tasted by smcilhen on 6/5/2014: Talk about bottle variation.....this was completely different than my last bottle. Smooth with a lot of red fruit, almost too sweet for my taste. Where was all of the dark chocolate and earth notes from the last bottle? I much prefer that flavor profile. This is still a good wine for the price....it's just surprising that it tastes completely different. My one remaining bottle will be the tiebreaker I guess! (1312 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (8/27/2012)
(For a Song Syrah Columbia Valley) Dark ruby. Aromatically luxurious with spice, chocolate, and dark fruit. The palate is plush and creamy, full of dark fruit flavors and spice. This is a thoroughly delicious bottle of wine at a can’t-be-beat price. 100% Syrah. Olsen Vineyard. 14.4% alcohol. 1,600 cases produced. Sampled at 69 degrees. **** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| For a Song Producer websiteFor a Song SyrahWhen Olsen Estates went out of business, all their juice, in bottle and barrel, was purchased by their distributor (Vinum), who created the For A Song label as a house brand to find happy homes for all that quality juice. Since then, the project has been such a runaway success that Vinum has kept the band together. It is still Kyle Johnson, the former winemaker at Olsen Estates, making the wines, and he seems to have a real knack for Syrah.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. USAAmerican 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 RimmermanColumbia 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.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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