2017 La Serenne Syrah
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Tasting notes
Dark red-ruby color. Perfumed, slightly musky aromas of purple fruits and pepper. At once generous, silky and juicy, with obvious stem energy contributing to its inner-mouth aromatic lift. Lovely texture and depth here, as well as a varietal wildness that should make this wine even more interesting with some bottle aging. (13.8% alcohol; from two adjacent parcels planted to the Phelps clone in 1996; vinified with 58% whole clusters and aged in about 50% new oak for six months before being transferred to neutral barrels for seven more months)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Dark purple colored in the glass, the 2017 Syrah la Serenne opens to a bouquet of flowers on the nose along with dusty plum, blackberry and subtle red and black spices. Medium to full-bodied, on the palate, the wine has a juicy yet dusty core with a ripe and evolving character, a supporting backbone of acidity and lingering finish with finesse, power and vibrancy. It's a delicious and impressive wine that will be a crowdpleaser for sure. Only 300 cases produced.
A beautifully complex, spicy and alluring nose with pepper, red plums, darker berries, baking spices and woody elements, all combined. The palate has a sleek edge with bright acidity that holds a deep, flavorful finish. Drink across the next decade.
Coming from the Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, the 2017 Syrah La Serenne is another beautiful wine from this team, offering perfumed notes of blue fruits, ground peppery, gravelly earth, and smoke. Fermented with close to 60% stems and aged in French oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, has a seamless texture and ripe tannins, all pointing to a brilliant Syrah that’s going to evolve for 10-15 years. The Griessel Family and winemaker Louis Skinner, with plenty of help from Bob Betz, continue to keep this estate near the top of the hierarchy in Washington, as well as all of the United States. Skinner commented that while 2017 was a hot vintage, smoke from massive fires in California and Oregon blocked a portion of the UV light which kept temperatures down, slowed ripening and delayed harvest. The result was good of hang time with the wines still showing sunny, perfumed characters. The 2016 Bordeaux variety releases showed beautifully.