Best American Syrah that I have had to date.

[Bucko]

1998 McCrea, Syrah, Cuvee Orleans, Yakima Valley. Very dark in the glass, with aromas of blackberry jam, light smoke and meaty notes. Very elegant and polished on the entry, the silky tannins make a statement in their finely tuned integration with the wine. Sweet blackberry fruit predominates, with a touch of spicy flavors and brown sugar intermingling throughout. This is the best American Syrah that I have tried to date. A lovely effort.

Bucko

[Innkeeper]

Price? Production? Distribution?

[Bucko]

Don't know (~$35), don't know (very small), mailing list only (you can't have any). [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

Bucko

[winecollector]

Gee, thanks Bucko! Nothing like inviting us to a "dry party!" Ice water for everyone!

[Innkeeper]

And this is the same guy that dised me for recommending a chad from Oz that at least was widely available for awhile.

[Bucko]

Ain't I a bad boy! Seriously, this was a sample bottle, and I have samples of four other Syrahs that he makes. If this bottle is any indication, the other cuvees plus the regular Yakima bottlings should be killers as well, and do have more distribution. McCrea makes 2,500 cases at present, and as his plantings mature, he will max out at around 4,800 cases. His web site is under construction, and he will have on-line purchasing. He said it should be up by June.

http://www.mccreacellars.com/

Just a heads up on this guy. He is a fanatic about Rhone wine, the traditinal Rhone grapes and terroir. He will become a cult wine IMO, so the mailing list might be a wise thing at this point. You can e-mail Doug McCrea at mccreawine@aol.com

Bucko

[This message has been edited by Bucko (edited 03-24-2001).]

[chittychattykathy]

PS- They self distribute, so the wines do not retail out of Washington very much if at all. They are quite available here in Seattle, considering the size of the winery. He also makes (in old oak) a very delicious, (sorry, it's that good) unfined, unfiltered, chardonnay, w/10% viognier. I remember thinking at the event, "this is why I have not ruled out Chardonnay from my diet completely".