Storyline and photos by califusa,
Left Coast Correspondent

Rhone Ranger Tasting 2000

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INDEX TO WINES

Kim McCrea

Doug McCrea

1998 Syrah Napa Valley - pleasing dark plum and smoky bacon in the nose - rich and ripe in the mouth - very pleasing - quite delicious, and showing very well, especially for a wine so young.

I had really wanted to visit several other producers. Swanson for example, was pouring a vertical of four vintages from magnum, but by time I got around to their table the public had been admitted and two of the four wines were gone. 1997 Syrah - sweet and pretty Syrah fruit on the nose that follows through very pleasantly on the palate - a very sweet and pretty wine. The 1996 Syrah shows more smoky aromatics and less sweetness on the nose - surprisingly, this wine's similar on the palate and quite successful. These are both delicious and well-made wines showing excellent structure and clean wine making. Not a Rhone-like Syrah - certainly a more California expression of the grape but both are very nice wines

Pretty much the same story with Qupe - could not get near the table, and the Hillside Select was all gone.

Just as I was headed toward the exit, I looked toward my left, and found two wineries that I find particularly interesting.

Marietta Cellars will be familiar to you from Geo t's Tasting Notes from the Underground, and are perennial QPR heroes of ours. 1997 Syrah -restrained smoky notes on the nose - big and rich and focused - a very cleanly made wine and that goes down very easily and is an absolute bargain at 16 bucks.

I was happy to see Kim and Doug McCrea from McCrea Cellars in Washington State. We met these folks at Hospice du Rhone last year, and were very impressed with their wines. 1998 Viognier - lovely sweet deep honey and honeysuckle aromatics - a wonderful broad mouthfeel and pleasing viscosity that absolutely coats the palate - just delicious - very clean if not terribly long finish - definitely one of the top two or three Viogniers I've tasted today.

1998 Syrah Yakima Valley - hints of smoke in the nose, a bit restrained - but in the mouth are very sweet and generous fruit flavors - I was mildly impressed with these folks last year, but these wines are even more impressive than my memory of what I tasted last year. This Syrah has beautiful balance, sweetness from perfectly ripe Syrah fruit. The oak is well-balanced and it has a very clean finish. These are very drinkable wines and I look forward to more exciting releases from McCrea.

1998 Syrah Boushey Vineyard - not yet released - (there will be two vineyard designated Syrahs in 1998. The lots that are selected out make up the Yakima Valley,) denser, brilliant deep garnet color - again, somewhat restrained but with racy Syrah aromas and hints of smoke and tar - there is a remarkable sweetness and these wines, and I specifically asked him if there was any residual sugar in these wines. The answer, of course, is no - the fruit was simply picked at optimal physiologic maturity. It shows wonderful sweetness from perfectly ripe fruit. This is a most delicious wine, and I very much look forward to its release. This is my kind of Syrah - this is not an expression of the rhonish style of this varietal, but there must be dozens of California producers who wish they could put this in the bottle.

1998 Syrah Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - even denser color - more smoky and mysterious - a darker fruit flavor profile, and as Kim so aptly states: this wine is the power in the blend, and the Bouchey is the elegance. Together they make a wonderful wine, but this wine on its own is quite striking, and amongst the most impressive or perhaps the most impressive lineup of wines I have tasted from a single producer today.