Wine Article

2009 Syrah La Côte Patriarche A surprising sense of ripeness and depth belies the 2010 vintage of Syrah La Côte Patriarche; its expression doesn’t seem like that of a cooler vintage. There’s a concentration, richness and grip typical of a warmer growing season. We attribute this expression to the 25 year old vines we source it from at the Red Willow Vineyard (the oldest Syrah planted in Washington), where the vines show an element of stability and consistency; solid, even, perhaps more forgiving of vintage variation. The litany of descriptors for the 2010 vintage all center on substance and density. Solid blackberry, plum, meat, smoke, rock, earth all apply. Even a bit of black licorice. In the background there’s a bramble note, and a little aromatic buoyancy from black raspberry aromas. La Côte Patriarche is the most ageworthy of our three Syrahs. The fruit, tannin and grape chemistry all balance toward brooding when young, splendidly expressive with time in the cellar. Syrah has a serious capacity to develop “bottle bouquet” over the years, as the 2010 will reveal. In time even more of its smoked meat, black pepper and earthiness will emerge.
100% Syrah from the Red Willow Vineyard
Serve cool, 60--‐62°F. Best from 2014 through 2022