Amavi Cellars Walla Walla Syrah 09

Review:

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

Firm in texture, but brimming with dark currant and boysenberry flavors under a layer of licorice and pepper, pushing through the fine tannins to glow brightly on the rich finish. Best from 2012 through 2016. 1,314 cases made." - H.S.

Amavi Cellars is a "sister" winery to Walla Walla's prestigious Pepper Bridge Winery. The Pepper Bridge Winery partners wanted to produce Syrah and other varietals from estate-vineyard grapes, but did not want to use the Pepper Bridge name, reserving that name for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Thus Amavi was founded.

From the winery: "At Amavi Cellars, we have chosen to focus on Syrah wines that showcase the extraordinary quality and unique concentrated fruit flavors of Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard, our Walla Walla Valley estate vineyards. Over the years, these estate vineyards have consistently produced grapes used by other Washington winemakers to produce Syrah wines of exceptional complexity, balance, and concentration.

Amavi Cellars' first release, the 2001 Syrah, is a deeply-colored, well-balanced, and complex wine from start to finish. It features flavors of dark wild berries, violets and spice with subtle hints of smoked meats, earthy nuances, and licorice.

The grapes for our 2001 Syrah were sourced 65% from Pepper Bridge Vineyard and 35% from Seven Hills Vineyard. The grapes were carefully hand-harvested, sorted, and individually fermented in small stainless steel tanks. The wine aged 18 months in 68% French Oak, 18% Hungarian Oak, and 14% American Oak.