Wine Spectator 92 points.
Smooth and velvety, this is a graceful, beautifully balanced Syrah that shows off its blueberry and plum fruit against shades of white pepper and cedar. The finish keeps welling up with haunting flavors. Drink now through 2014. 1,359 cases made. -HS
Sequel Syrah from Longshadows Vintners' 2003 vintage received 92 points from Wine Spectator too. This second 2004 release is darkly-hued with cherry and cassis aromas to match. This is a focused Syrah loaded with black fruit, spice and a hint of vanilla across a supple frame. Give it time in the glass to fully reveal the wine's layers of fruit and concentration.
Made by John Duval, the very famous winemaker who for fifteen years made Australia's most celebrated wine, Penfold's Grange.
Yakima Valley's Boushey Vineyard (35%) gives the wine its elegance and balance; Alder Ridge (24%) and Wallula Vineyard (7%) in the Horse Heaven Hills combines with Red Mountain vineyards (32%) to add black fruit and richness. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sagemoor's Dionysus Vineyard on a southwest facing slope in Pasco adds complexity and more layers.
Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
From the Seattle Times, March 7, 2006:
"Syrah, I pointed out, is a grape that seems to do very well in many places. Furthermore, it already has been "claimed" as a signature grape in both the Rhone Valley, for its smoky, meaty, pungently bloody character, and in the Barossa, for its immensely pleasurable, saturated, jammy, fruit-driven power. So where does Washington syrah fit in?
"It seems to fit in neatly," Duval insists. "True, it doesn't have the bigness of Barossa Valley shiraz, but it has the finesse and savory spice character I see in France. So I see it fitting in between the French style and the other end of the spectrum, the big bold Australian style. And we (Long Shadows) have access to some vineyards that can give a bit of both."
The Columbia Valley's 2004 vintage required meticulously care in the vineyard
and those who did were rewarded with beautifully elegant, well-balanced wines. Long
Shadows resident winemaker Gilles Nicault invested hundreds of hours in the vineyards
from the first of the year through harvest after a harsh January freeze left everyone anxious
about damage to the vines. Gilles worked with growers to manage crop loads and canopy
exposure throughout the growing season. He asked growers to prune to two buds in the
early spring, despite freeze damage to the primary buds; thin at bloom; thin and drop green
clusters at verasion; and finally, leaf thin in September to open up the canopy and promote
even ripening. As a result, Long Shadows' blocks averaged 1 - 2 tons per acre, just slightly
less than a "typical" year, producing wonderfully ripened, flavorful fruit.
