Syrah wines from California and Washington, my nemeses

WINE TALK
21

I would add these two wineries, which are producing syrahs that are not over the top and are more recognizable to those of us who love Northern Rhone syrahs:
Unti in Dry Creek, Sonoma
Stolpman in Santa Barbara County

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22

The last few vintages of Pax Sonoma-Hillsides have been fantastic.

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23

I also thinks this comes down to winemaker intent - there are plenty of folks working with sites that some consider ā€˜cool climateā€™ like Bien Nacido that pick and produce 15%+ alcohol wines that show little to no of the cool climate characteristics that sites CAN show . . .

Cheers

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24

I find Melvilleā€™s syrahs to be their best wines - generally lots of olive and bacon - and I much prefer the syrahs to the Pinots or Chards (which I find too ripe).

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25

Some of my favorite Syrah based wines from Washington State are from Kevin White. Excellent values too.

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26

Curious when you last had their wines?

Cheers

27

I tasted through the whole range at the winery about three years ago and the estate Syrah was by far my favorite (I preferred it to the single vineyard bottlings). Since then Iā€™ve opened 3-4 bottles of Pinot I bought at retail and my impression remains the same: very well made wines and likely an honest reflection of the terroir. Just a riper and more full bodied expression than I like in my Pinot or Chard. But Iā€™d happily drink the estate Syrah, especially at $35.

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