2010 McCrea Syrah

McCrea is based in Western Washington, near the city of Olympia. It is owned and operated by Doug and Kim McCrea and Susan and Bob Neel. The winery was started in 1988 when Doug McCrea, a professional musician and educator, decided to turn his interest in wine-making, and making Rhone blends in particular, into a business. With his wife and business partners he started making Rhone-style blends from grapes grown in Eastern Washington, producing his first commercial vintages in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s McCrea was producing some of the first Grenache and Syrah wines in Washington. Within a few years they were also using Washington-grown Viognier, Mourvedre, Roussanne and other Rhone varietals to make Rhone-inspired blends. McCrea uses grapes sourced from Yakima Valley. Wine Advocate has noted that “Doug McCrea is one of Washington’s leading proponents of Rhone Ranger style wines. He gets considerable credit for getting Syrah underway in the State. He currently produces 3500 cases from his new winery from some of Washington’s finest terroirs.”

Columbia Valley AVA is larger than some states. At 18,000 square miles, or 11 million acres, the appellation covers almost half of Washington State and a small part of Oregon on the south side of the Columbia River. Established in 1984, Columbia Valley contains numerous sub appellations within its boundaries, including Yakima Valley AVA and Walla Walla AVA, both large and important wine districts. Columbia Valley AVA, generally called the Columbia Basin by Pacific Northwesterners, is in the Columbia River Plateau, and the AVA also includes a section of northeastern Oregon. There are dozens of microclimates within this appellation of about 7,000 vineyard acres. Many kinds of grapes are grown in the Columbia Valley, though the principal grapes planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. Eastern Washington experiences very hot summers and cold winters, and the northern latitude means that Washington vineyards receive several more hours of sun in the summer than California vineyards. Grapes in Washington therefore have time to develop significant tannins and overall ripeness.

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.