McCrea, Syrah 2008

Composition: 100% Syrah
Vineyards: Ciel du Cheval Vineyard,
Red Mountain
Boushey Grande Côte Vineyard,
Yakima Valley
Elephant Mountain Vyd., Yakima
Sugarloaf Vineyard, Yakima
Alcohol: 14.8%
pH: 3.83
Titratable Acid: 5.9 gm/litre
Bottling: September 2, 2009; 454 cases
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
Our 2008 Yakima Valley Syrah is a blend of grapes from four outstanding Yakima Valley vineyards. This
year we introduce fruit from the newly-planted Sugarloaf Vineyard located at the westernmost tip of the
valley. We’re very excited about the prospects of this new site. After destemming and gentle crushing
(just enough to pop the berries) it was fermented in small batches of ¾ to 1-¾ tons each. We use open
top fermenters with a manual punch down of the cap twice or three times per day during active
fermentation. When dry the wine was dejuiced, rather than pressed, and transferred to barrel. It was
aged eleven months in French oak, approximately 20% new.
Since we began the Syrah trend in Washington it has exploded in popularity – from about ten acres in
1997 to about 4000 today! Ours is handled very carefully, developing intense berry and black cherry
flavors without over extraction or heavy tannins. It has licorice, cedar and mushrooms on the nose and
finishes with black pepper and, particularly in 2008, great acidity. Our goal is to achieve a balance
between New World intensity and Old World elegance. It will cellar well – ten years or more.
Washington’s 2008 vintage will be remembered for its unusually cool summer and fall temperatures,
but ultimately, for very classy wines. An exceptionally long, cool and rainy spring delayed bud break for
at least two weeks. Once into July, a very cool summer presaged a late year, with slower and somewhat
delayed veraison. As harvest approached, ripeness and overall flavor development lagged. Sugars barely
reached 24° Brix – uncommonly low. Picking was late and somewhat compressed in time; finding space
for fermenting about 80% simultaneously was a challenge.
In the end we survived what was one of the most difficult vintages in twenty years! Generally mediumbodied
with a transparent complexity, the whites are some of the finest ever and the reds will posses a
rare “beauty” and elegant style. They should age gracefully.
A pioneer of Rhône varietals in Washington State, winemaker Doug McCrea transforms grapes from the
finest Yakima Valley and Red Mountain vineyards into wines of extraordinary depth, balance, complexity
and finesse. Annual Production: 3500 cases of Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Roussanne,
Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Cinsault and Counoise.