Community Tasting Notes 3

• BalthazarVonBratwurst wrote: 86 points

  October 11, 2013 - Very round, beautiful berry and floral aromas. Too jammy for my taste though, but still very enjoyable.

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• qwerty2 wrote: 89 points

  August 8, 2013 - I need to go right back to the store, this week, and buy more while it's still on sale. Excellent Syrah, especially considering the price. Love the depth, and the fragrance.

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• forceberry wrote: 86 points

  March 13, 2013 - A blend of Syrah (99%) and Viognier (1%). Aged for 14 months in French and American oak barrels, of which 12% were new.
  
  Opaque purple red color. Quite fruit-forward nose that is dominated by rather obvious, lactic MLF aromas of strawberry yoghurt. There are also aromas of ripe, dark forest berries, sweet raspberries, licorice, peppery spice and some toffee oak. The nose is obviously new world in style, but from the more elegant and restrained end of the spectrum. On the palate the wine is dominated by very ripe, almost jammy, fruit-forwad flavors of bilberries, raspberries, cherries and blackberries with some peppery Syrah spice and a hint of smoke. Despite this quite sweet character, the wine isn't heavy or monolithic, but instead surprisingly fresh and delicate. Moderate on acidity, quite mellow and easy on the tannin department. Quite sweet, soft and mellow finish with medium-length aftertaste of strawberry jam, ripe blackberry, some smoke, a little vanilla and a hint of cocoa oak.
  
  On one hand the wine feels like a regular, inexpensive new world Shiraz, but on the other hand this wine shows quite attractive freshness and lightness of body with quite sensible use of oak and nice drinkability; probably not the most memorable Washington Syrah, but still a surprisingly balanced and sophisticated effort for such. Overall this is an easily approachable, balanced and sophisticated new world Syrah that would benefit from short-term cellaring just to get rid of those excessive MLF lactic aromas. Not a wine that would win Northern Rhône fans over, but one that shows good balance for an American wine. Decent QPR at 15,65e.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2010
• Type Red
• Producer Chateau Ste. Michelle
• Varietal Syrah
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region Washington
• SubRegion Columbia Valley
• Appellation Columbia Valley
• UPC Code 088586000751

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 10 (26%)
• Consumed 28 (74%)

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