Washington wine savvy choice for those who love syrah

Serious wines are being produced in Washington state these days, challenging the position of California as a leader in the domestic wine market. Perhaps it won't happen in volume, but in quality there's a contest, especially when it comes to syrah-based wines. This Stonecap is a good example.

If we take price into account, I think anyone would be hard pressed to come up with a California syrah to compete with Stonecap at less than $10.

This wine is sourced from a wonderful vineyard planted on good, rocky Columbia Valley soil, producing a true-to-type syrah that could mimic something coming from northern Rhone in France as well, but with a bit more extracted fruit.

In the glass, Stonecap Syrah is a deep, dense garnet-red color with an opaque core going out into a brickish-red rim definition with long-legged medium viscosity.

On the nose, there are immediate and pungent crushed black berry fruit, almost like compote of blueberries, blackberries and Morrello cherries, over a rustic, licorice-laced white-pepper spiced bowl of earthy artichoke soup, which is all very typical of Rhone.

Then a lovely, fragrant violetlike red floral character emerges as one takes the first sip and there's full-bodied, big, spicy crushed black fruit with underlying herbs, huckleberries and licorice root overwhelming the palate. The midpalate is clean and powerful with phenolics and yet more star anise character, going into a solidly balanced, smooth tannin and big, dark plum fruit finish that lingers for a good 20-plus seconds.

Stonecap Syrah should develop nicely during the next three to five years. With the practical screw cap, you can easily take a glass or two and then finish the bottle a few days later. Leave it in the glass for five minutes before drinking, to fully open up. Try this syrah with a grilled salt-and-pepper rubbed tri-tip.

Wine: Stonecap Syrah 2005

Grape: Syrah

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Vintage: 2005

Price: $9.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.