My dear friend (and prolific writer) Dahe attended the 9th annual Celebration of Syrah at Edgefield on April 10th when her partner (& wine prodigy) T Monney scored some comp tickets, just by being nice! They both report having a fantastic time – and Dahe was kind enough to follow up her trip with a guest blog.

This fundraiser boasted more than 60 Syrahs from Washington and Oregon. A plethora of Syrahs! And all for a good cause; proceeds benefit !Salud!, a non-profit organization that helps Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers secure medical care. The problem: how to effectively taste this many wines in 3 hours and still make sense at the end…and how to report on all of this and not write a book.

To enhance the wine experience, there was food served at the event. According to the chef, the generous buffet of appetizers was assembled specifically to pair well with Syrah. It was very helpful to have a plate of roast beef, olive bread and chocolate to savor and draw out the flavor of the Syrah. There was also a uniquely flavorful coq au vin salad paired wonderfully with the ’07 Coeo Viognier poured by Alma Terra, the first table we stopped at (we approached the problem alphabetically.)

Before I immersed myself in Syrah, I did enjoy this Viognier (it took 1st place & Best in Show at the 2009 Seattle Uncorked Rose Revival & Other Cool Whites Competition and earned 91 Points from Wine Enthusiast 8/31/09.)

My favorites: In the newcomer category, Alma Terra’s first release Syrahs included the ’06 Coeo Three Vineyard Blend Syrah from the Columbia Valley AVA, which earned an “Excellent”rating from Wine Press Northwest (Spring 2010), and retails at $38. This was a blend of Syrah grapes from three AVAs: Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills and Yakima Valley. We didn’t know why it wasn’t called the Red Horse Yak, but they obviously thought better. Described as ‘juicy with blueberry… supple tannins and a spicy finish’ – all true. We definitely tasted the blueberry and it was phenomenal with the roast beef.

I was also able to taste two of the three ’06 single vineyard Syrahs. The Minick Vineyard, in Yakima Valley, retails at $42 and has notes of plums, blackberries, coffee, cedar and orange peel. Very smooth and elegant. As the ’06 vintage is their first release and quite impressive, we will want to see more of them.

In the great value category, there were many really good Syrahs for under $30. In alphabetical order (because that’s how we tasted through that HUGE room), the Basel Cellars 06 estate grown Columbia Valley Syrah ($24) was full of cherries and spice, and great with the food. Chateau Lorane’s ‘04 Syrah at $16 is a steal, big and lush with purple fruit from Lorane, west of Cottage Grove, OR. The 06 L’Ecole No 41 Columbia Valley Syrah, with 5% Granache, was a bit dryer and tannic, with a toasted oakiness; very nice with olives and roast beef ($24). SEIA Wine Cellars from Seattle offered their 05 Wahluke Slope Clifton Hill Vineyard Syrah ($30); very smooth, luscious and earthy. Also, their 06 Alder Creek Vineyard from Horse Heaven Hills, is described as lean and lithe and at $20 is a very good buy.

In the $30 to $40 range, I really enjoyed the Bunchgrass Winery’s ‘07 Morrison Lane Syrah from Walla Walla, ($34). I also loved the DiStefano 05 Syrah R, made in Woodinville, WA from 100% Columbia Valley Syrah. It was very balanced, with cherry and vanilla, and a velvety mouth feel. A nice wine with a lovely, long finish ($32). Morrison Lane was pouring the oldest Syrah, a lovely 03. Morrison Lane sells most of it grapes, including to Bunchgrass. And Morrison pulled the best ‘under the table’ wine out for our special tasting, and it was like we were drinking a secret ambrosia. Spindrift Cellars poured an ‘07 Syrah from Walla Walla, Seven Hills Vineyard. With 2% Viognier and French oak, and only 120 cases, at $32 this may be a hard to find favorite.

In the ‘knock your socks off’ category, Dundee’s Dobbes Family Estate’s 06 Assemblage Grand Cuvee (from the southern Rogue Valley AVA) had perhaps the longest finish of any wine I tasted there, an intense experience that lasted forever. And the $26 price divided into the flavor experience of the wine equals the very best value of all.

Cheers to Dahe and T Monney for their willingness to dye their teeth for the cause. Thanks for the great post!