2012 Otis Kenyon Syrah

Otis Kenyon was established in 2004 when Stephen Otis Kenyon and Deborah Dunbar purchased Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Walla Walla and made wine. The couple had lived in the Rhone Valley and had long been interested in winemaking. They soon purchased two vineyards in Walla Walla where Kenyon had grown up. Otis Kenyon now owns 39 acres in the Walla Walla appellation, which will eventually be planted to Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Otis Kenyon makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Roussanne, Syrah, Carmenere, Malbec and blends. The Matchless Red Wine blend is typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The silhouette on the label is an homage to Stephen Otis’ ancestor, a dentist who worked in Walla Walla area in the beginning of the 20th century.

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.