Our recently published report on Washington told you everything you need to know about what the state has to offer. There’s so much diversity available at incredibly reasonable prices that Brennon Leighton, the winemaker at K Vintners and House of Smith, went so far as to say, “For $15 to $25, no one in the world can beat us. No one can even compete.”
There’s a lot of quality wine produced in the state falling in that sweet spot, including plenty of syrah, which is among the best in America and even the world. Because the state is so large, with climatic, soil and aspect-driven differences that allow for real diversity of character, syrah can turn out boldly spice-driven or with a more mineral or herbal character.
And in such a big state lies one of the largest AVAs in the U.S.: the Columbia Valley, which spans 11 million acres, or a quarter of the state. The wines made here vary widely, none more so than those from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, which is part of the Columbia AVA.
Walla Walla Valley is perhaps our favorite AVA in Washington for syrah. The soils are a combination of ever-changing silty loam and stone and mainly sit on an alluvial fan that starts in the east at the Blue Mountains and moves westward.
We discovered from our visit there that the best examples of syrah come from the most difficult soils to farm. I heard from multiple producers that broken axles and bent equipment are just part of the job when planting and maintaining vines. But the results more than make up for the hardships: mineral and herbal syrah with lovely transparency, purity and drive.
The L’Ecole No. 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown 2018 is an excellent jumping off point into the special terroir of Walla Walla Valley. It comes from one of the valley’s oldest and more storied names.
Looking northwest of Walla Walla Valley is Wahluke Slope, which is mostly known for its cabernet sauvignon and merlot. But the syrahs produced here are also consistently delicious, with ripe fruit and herbaceous character coming from the sandy loam and gravel soils of the slope, which is at an almost entirely consistent downward grade of 8 percent along the Columbia River, resulting in good drainage for the vineyards and vigor in the wines.
The K Vintners Syrah Wahluke Slope The Deal 2018 shows that ripe fruit character along with lovely black tea nuance that keep you wanting more. And for less than $40, you’re getting a 96-point wine with real age-ability. In fact, The Deal is our highest-rated wine from Wahluke Slope in 2018, so this is not so much an introduction to the area as it is one of the benchmarks.
All the options below are excellent forays into Washington syrah for $40 or less, with our least expensive option coming in at just $10. Prices like that, paired with the quality you’re getting, are hard to argue with. These wines make wonderful summer grilling companions, and once you’re hooked on them you can go even deeper into the world of Washington syrah. We hope one of the wines below is just the first of many for you.
– Nathan Slone, Associate Editor
K Vintners Syrah Wahluke Slope The Deal 2018 – JS96
Vivino.com: $36.99
JJBuckley.com: $39.94
Wine.com: $37.99
L’Ecole No 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown 2018 – JS95
KLWines.com: $34.95
K Vintners Syrah Wahluke Slope Milbrandt 2018 – JS94
Vivino.com: $34.98
Dunham Cellars Syrah Columbia Valley 2018 – JS93
Vivino.com: $33.99
Hedges Syrah Red Mountain Descendants Liegeois Dupont Les Gosses Vineyard 2016 – JS93
Vivino.com: $36.99
Gramercy Cellars Syrah Columbia Valley Lower East 2017 – JS92
Sokolin.com: $21.99
Boomtown by Dusted Valley Syrah Columbia Valley 2018 – JS91
Wine.com: $18.99
Columbia Crest Syrah Columbia Valley 2018 – JS91
Vivino.com: $9.98
