2015 Columbia Crest Syrah

Well, it was sweltering today, but I still ended up getting some yard work done, including redoing some flagstone, digging up some unwanted trees, pulling weeds and mowing, and now I am surely ready for a nice dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Columbia Crest Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I think I may have bought this at my local market a year or two ago, so let's see how this wine from one of Washington's biggest producers tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a Syrah.  The nose is full of raspberry, green grass and mint with an undertone of tar.  The taste is a burst of red berry fruit, raspberry, cherry, currant and strawberry that transition nicely to some earthy peat and graphite midpalate.  The tannins are medium bodied, providing for a nice, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking Syrah at a value price (I doubt I paid much more than $10 for this bottle).  This wine would be ideal for casual dinners, from pizza and burgers to barbecue and tacos, but tonight I'm going the other way and enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime filet mignon with some of the last of the garlic scapes of the season, along with roasted baby potatoes and pearl onions and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!