A Wish For A Wash. Syrah

Several weeks ago, I prattled on and on about cool-climate syrahs (Feb. 5, 2009). I tasted a bunch of them from around the world and with few exceptions thought they were the bee’s knees. 

What is a cool-climate syrah? They are syrahs from cool climates. OK, you knew that. Why do we care? These tend to be delicious wines with the intensity of a syrah (or shiraz, if you prefer), but with the delicacy and tart fruit flavors of a pinot noir. They are distinct from their more full-bodied, higher-alcohol, jammy, warm-climate brethren.

I tasted nearly 30 wines, but listed only one from Washington State. I could have easily chosen all the wines from this Northwestern winemaking region, which has made great strides with its merlots, but seems to have latched on to syrahs as well with great success.

I chose the Cadaretta for today’s wine pick, but might as well be the syrahs from Milbrandt or Snoqualmie as they were richly flavored with bright flavors of dark berries and plums. They also screamed to be served with food.

So if you can’t find the Cadaretta, ask your wine shop guy or gal for a cool-climate syrah. Or better yet, take a peek at the growing Washington State sections of a wine retailer or wine list near you.

2006 Cadaretta Syrah, Columbia Valley, Wash.

• $33

• Two Thumbs Up

• Rich, smoky aromas with notes of black cherry and violets. Complex and full-bodied but light on its feet. Lots of rich flavors of ripe, dark berries and plums but with enough acidity to counterbalance the fruit.