2010 Avennia - Syrah Arnaut

In addition to the current releases, I was also able to taste a small retrospective of Chris’s Arnaut Syrah from the Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valle. Starting out, the 2010 Arnaut Syrah Boushey Vineyard sports a deep purple color as well as classic, cool-climate notes of leafy herbs, white pepper, cedarwood, and assorted darker fruits. It’s full-bodied, has beautiful freshness and purity, as well as length. I continue to consider Chris Peterson’s Avennia estate to be one of the best in Washington State and he’s been making world-class wines for a number of years now. He releases two white wines: A Sauvignon Blanc called Oliane and a Rhone blend of Roussanne and Marsanne called La Perle. The reds are broken up into a Rhône/Bordeaux groups, with the Rhônes including a Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend called Justine, and two single-vineyard Syrahs, the Le Corbeau from Mays’ Discovery Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills and the Arnaut from Dick Boushey’s Boushey Vineyard on the western side of the Yakima Valley. The Bordeaux releases are built around the appellation blends and include the entry-level Gravura, Valery (Merlot dominated), and Sestina (Cabernet Sauvignon dominated). In addition, Peterson also makes a pure Cabernet Franc from Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills and a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from very old vines in the Red Willow Vineyard. As I hope these reviews show, these are brilliant wines readers need to seek out.

An awesome 100% Syrah that was fermented 15% whole cluster and aged for 16 months in mostly neutral oak (15% new), the 2010 Arnaut is locked and loaded with deep black cherry fruit, liquid mineral, peppered steak and spice-driven aromatics. All from Dick Boushey’s impeccably managed vineyard, this knockout, full-bodied and concentrated Syrah has incredible purity of fruit, perfectly integrated acidity and masses of ripe tannin that kick in through the mid-palate and finish. Count me a fan and this is an impressive effort that has a cool-climate profile that’s paired with serious fruit. Give bottles another 2-3 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following 10-15 years or more. Drink 2016-2025+. Founded by Chris Peterson (winemaker and formerly of DeLille Cellars) and Marty Taucher, and releasing their first vintage in 2010, this Woodinville-based operation needs to be on everyone’s radar. The wines are superb across the board and while they have solid fruit, they stress purity and elegance, with vibrant cores of acidity. The 2011 reds are also superb across the board. Slightly less concentrated than the 2010s, they have excellent mid-palate depth, ripe tannin structure and plenty of texture. www.avennia.com

(the alcohol here is actually a bit over 15%; half of this fruit is from Grand Cote old vines and the other half from "Bob Betz's block" at Boushey): Lovely lift to the aromas of blueberry, plum and smoked meat. A lively, suave fruit bomb on the palate, with nicely integrated acidity, a piquant black pepper element and a light stem character giving the mid-palate excellent lift. A step up in intensity over the Parapine: smooth, concentrated, tactile and long, with high-quality tannins. Incidentally, 2010 marked the first set of releases for Chris Peterson's new project; previously he made some splendid vintages at DeLille Cellars.