North by Northwest NxNW Syrah 2013
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Winemaker Notes
Dark fruit aromas like plum and blueberry mix effortlessly with flavors of black cherry, clove, dark chocolate, and toasted oak. Expect an enjoyable and generous finish with this deep garnet colored wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Focused and deftly wrought, with rich pomegranate, red plum and blackberry flavors floating over superfine tannins. The elements move weightlessly through the long, expressive and open-textured finish. Drink now through 2023.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Giving credit where it is due, this wine deserves kudos for being both outgoing and balanced, expressive and mannerly at one and the same time. Its mid-volume aromas deliver an inviting array of blackberry fruit notes with hints of raspberries and Syrah game and spice all supported by creamy oak. Medium-full on the palate and supple at entry before firming up under the impact of well-fit if bracing acidity, this one has the structure and continuity to improve for several years and to hold up in bottle after that. It is the kind of Syrah that works with foods that are both savory and refined like crown rack of lamb.
Other Vintages
2015-
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Wine &
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Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.