McCrea Cellars Syrah Cuvee Orleans 05

Doug's tribute to his birthplace, New Orleans. The fruit was sourced from two premier vineyards - Dick Boushey's Grande Cote vineyard in central Yakima Valley, and Jim Holmes's Ciel du Cheval vineyard on Red Mountain. Lush and fruit-forward with slightly higher alcohols, balanced by greater fruit intensity, tannins and excellent acidity.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

Wine & Spirits Magazine 91 points for the 2002 vintage: "Cuvee Orleans sets the yin of cool Boushey Vineyard fruit against the yang of syrah from a warmer site, Ciel du Cheval. And like McCrea's other Red Mountain wines, this cuvee has dark fruit, with spice ranging from Arabica coffee to new leather. It's sweet and very ripe, with firm, brisk tannins that contour and lift the finish. Cellar it for a year at least, then open it for a steak."

From the winery:

2004 was a year of many challenges. It began with a devastating freeze in January that permanently damaged many Washington vineyards, particularly in the Walla Walla valley. Fortunately, Rhone varietals are far more winter hardy than anyone would have imagined. Most of our fruit was not affected. The summer was one of the hottest on record, suggesting a very early harvest. But late August cooled and even brought some rain, which slowed sugar development while promoting good acidity and proper physiological maturity. We had a relatively normal harvest from mid-September through late October. The '04 wines are very promising; the fruit characteristics are similar to 2002 and 2003. We anticipate good complexity and intensity, with even better acid and pH ratios than prior vintages.

A pioneer of Rhone varietals in Washington State, winemaker Doug McCrea transforms grapes from the finest Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley vineyards into wines of extraordinary depth, balance, complexity and finesse. Annual Production: 4000 cases of Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne and Counoise.