By Duane Pemberton
Winery website: http://bergevinlane.com
Washington State is well-known amongst its home-crowd for making kick-ass Syrah wines that not only go toe-to-toe with the best in the world but, frankly, at prices that are hard for most other regions to compete in.
This Bergevin Lane “She-Devil” uses a combination of fruit from the Stone Tree vineyard in the Columbia Valley (Wahluke Slope) and some from Walla Walla – so it combines many of the best elements of each region.
Technical Data:
- Vineyards: 73% Stone Tree, 27% Fransica’s Vineyard
- Final blend: 100% Syrah
- Aging: 20 months on 54% French, 31% American and 15% Eastern European Oak
- Production: 650 Cases
- Alcohol: 14.6%
- Release Date: March 18th 2009
- Price: $24 ($15.99 at certain Seattle-area Costco stores)
Nose: Fresh game, plumsauce, peppercorns, blueberry pie filling and a hint of medicine cabinet.
Taste: Black plum sauce that’s been blended with pieces of fresh road-kill, marionberry and black peppercorns. Stellar mid palate with nice tannins – that are still rather youthful – and acids which lead to a finish that hangs out a long time with notes of chocolate and a very nice herbaciousness. This is a very solid Syrah and for $24 is a complete no-brainer.
W.E.P. Rating: 100%
