Read
McCrea Cellars:
The Sound of Syrah
read more
|
|
|
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS
89% Mourvedre
11% Syrah
both from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
Juicy, spicy, dense, and rich, with big black cherry flavors, and that characteristic hint of pencil lead, this is Mourvedre at its most extraordinary. Only...read more
|
|
|
|
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Strawberry spice, a slurpable, soft red usually blended into Syrah and other Rhone grapes.
Want to conduct a fascinating tasting? Try bottles of McCrea's Counoiuse, Mourvedre, Grenache, Viognier and Syrah wiht a bottle of...read more
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Counoise 04
Price: $29.95
$26.95 - Any 12 or more bottles
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS -- Interested in the Rhone? here's one of the few bottlings of this enchanting red, usually blended into Chateneuf du Pape in France, and into McCrea's own Rhone blend Sirocco.
Blended with 13% Syrah, a tiny bit of Counois...read more
|
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Syrah 06 is a classic expression of Washington Syrah, filled with meaty, smoky notes and rich black fruits....read more
|
|
|
|
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Orange and peach blossom aromas and flavors are characteristic of the variety. After gentle whole-cluster press, the juice was fermented in stainless tank. A small portion of Viognier was added to lift and brighten the blend.
<...read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Sirocco 04
Price: $33.75
$30.38 - Any 12 or more bottles
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS McCrea's flagship wine, where all of Doug's expertise comes together in a blend of Washington grown Rhone varietals. The wine comes across like an excellent Chateneuf-du-Pape, with a distinct NW twist.
A blend of 55% Gren...read more
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Late Harvest Roussanne 03
Price: $26.95
$24.25 - Any 12 or more bottles
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Orange and peach blossom aromas and flavors, with pear, a hint of coconut, and a dash of anise in the blend. Super with triple cream cheeses like St Andre....read more
|
|
|
|
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Seattle Times Paul Gregutt says: "Here is a one-time-only gem showing the dazzling winemaking skills of Doug McCrea. Long story short, he latched onto some Cabernet franc, not your usual Rhone Ranger grape, and not knowing what els...read more
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Syrah Amerique 04
Price: $39.95
$35.96 - Any 12 or more bottles
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Similar to an Australian Shiraz, the flavors are clean and berry-driven. The oak acts as a framework providing excellent length and structure,
surrounding the intense, mouth-coating fruit. This wine should age gracefully for five ...read more
|
|
|
|
McCrea Cellars Syrah Cuvee Orleans 03
Price: $56.95
$51.26 - Any 12 or more bottles
|
AVALON RECOMMENDS Doug's tribute to his birthplace, New Orleans. The fruit was sourced from two premier vineyards - Dick Boushey's Grande C?te vineyard in central Yakima Valley, and Jim Holmes's Ciel du Cheval vineyard on Red Mountain. Lush and ...read more
|
|
|
|
MORE INFORMATION
| |
McCrea Cellars
Before Cayuse, before the whole "Syrah
thing" in the Pacific Northwest, there was Doug McCrea. Beginning
way back in 1992, Doug started lobbying vineyard managers to plant the
traditional Rhone varietals: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, Ugni
Blanc, et al. Jim Holmes of famed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, along with
others, responded to Doug's clarion call and today a small amount of
mature Rhone grapes are planted in Washington State. Most of the best
go to Doug.
McCrea Cellars is a lowkey gem of a
winery that has little publicity, but ranks at the top of many of the
best western US chefs' list of red wine sources from the NW. Quietly,
McCrea Cellars has become a favorite of famed restaurants across the
west, and much of their production goes to them. You may not have heard
of McCrea, but check with your favorite sommelier, next time you go out
to eat. It's likely they know and admire the wines of McCrea. And might
even have a bit in their cellars!
McCrea Cellars Cuvee Oreleans
Once in awhile, you taste a wine that is so dangerously
good, you want to keep it for yourself.
Such
a wine is McCrea Cellars Cuvee Orleans as is the Ciel du Cheval Syrah.
If you like Syrah, this is the ultra-decadent version.
There are no wossies in Doug McCrea’s wine offerings.
The 2003 Cuvee Orleans is McCrea’s
top of the line Syrah. When opened (and give it an hour before drinking),
you get aromas of toasted nuts, black raspberry and plum. And the taste—exotic
spice, chocolate and dark, concentrated berries and plums—can turn
a person from generous to stingy in a heartbeat. The small amount of
Viognier gives it a seductive perfume in the nose, signaling the mouth
that something good is coming.
This wine has legs for cellaring, but the wait
will be worth it. It is clearly a wine for those who can appreciate the
refinement of a handcrafted Syrah blend.
Despite
the fact that Cuvee Orleans is the top of the line, the 2003
Ciel du Cheval Syrah is no bridesmaid. Syrah made from this
Eastern Washington vineyard has powerful depth and structure.
The 03 Ciel du Cheval is the most
powerful of the single-vineyard Syrahs produced by McCrea. This wine
has muscle, with white pepper spice and rich blackberry and plum flavors.
Not for the faint-of-heart, but the tongue will love you.
The reality is, the two wines are practically gone.
The winery is out, and you won’t find them in many Northwest locations
anymore.
We have a small stash for our loyal customers.
We can’t be responsible for what happens to you after the first
taste, but it should be something wonderful!- CK
Winemaker Doug McCrea
The chief creative force behind McCrea Cellars, winemaker Doug McCrea
draws on his background as an accomplished classical and jazz musician,
composer, arranger and educator. Born in New Orleans and raised in the
San Francisco Bay area, he developed an early appreciation for fine food,
wine and music.
After a 14-year career in music, Doug moved to
the Pacific Northwest in 1980 to be close to his parents in their retirement.
He began to experiment with small lots of wine and spent several years
working at two Puget Sound wineries while studying the technology of
winemaking through texts and short courses at UC Davis.
His philosophy of winemaking is simple. "The wine is fundamentally
created in the vineyard. A winemaker captures the grape's subtle aromas
and flavors, nuturing and expanding these elements. Like musical improvisation,
he applies his personal expression or 'signature'. Both fields provide
the ability to release creativity."
"Do not search in a wine for
the reflection of an exact science. The formulas of scientific oenology
are only a thin competition which does not know how to respect the mysteries
of eternal creation."
- The late Jacques Perrin, Chateau Beaucastle, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
|
|
|
|
