2019 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah

Happy Sunday!  So last night Forgeron Cellars hosted a virtual wine tasting of wines from the Boushey Vineyard with Dick Boushey and winemaker Cody Janett.  It was a delightful experience hearing from one of the great wine grape growers and pioneers of the Yakima Valley, including some interesting stories about recent vintages, the challenges of growing certain varietals and some of the great creativity shown by many of the wine makes in Washington today.  So last night I tasted some of the Boushey Vineyard Grenache (which you can see here) and tonight I'm doing a bit of a vertical tasting with the 2018 vintage (which I reviewed here) and the barrel sample of the 2019 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah for last night's event.  So let's see how next year's wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep inky color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a quality Syrah.  The nose presents aromas of smoke, oak and a bit of black pepper over ripe blackberry, blueberry and plum.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry that burst on the palate, before transitioning easily to some earthy mineral notes of tar and black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tightly wound, but fully supportive of the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, it's still early, but this early taste of the 2019 vintage suggests it may eclipse the 2018 vintage when it's released next year.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes as a food friendly varietal, and I could see this wine with barbecue, steaks and chops, to pizza and tacos.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled cajun spiced prime sirloin, with grilled leeks and garlic scapes, steamed Brussels sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes.  Cheers!