2002 Chester|Kidder Red Wine
Wow. What a wine. I tried this in barrel a few months ago and was
knocked out by this powerhouse. It´s part of the Longshadows project, an interesting
collaborative effort between Chateau Ste-Michelle´s former CEO Allen Shoup, on-site winemaker
Gilles Nicault, and world-renowned winemakers such as Randy Dunn, Michel Rolland, John Duval, Armin
Diel, Philippe Melka, and Augustin Huneeus. I envy Gilles; he gets to learn from some of the
finest winemakers in the world, while still making his own wine - this one. It´s named
after Allen Shoup´s grandfather and grandmother, it costs $49.75, and it´s all gone.
It´s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. I´d
expect this wine to age for another five years, although it´s mind-bogglingly good now.
2003 Syzygy Walla Walla Valley Syrah
Zach Brettler is the winemaker here, and this is a lovely Syrah from this
Walla Walla (relative) newcomer. I was turned on to this winery by our old friend Jamie Brown,
and I´m glad he did. There´s no more of this wine to be had. It´s
$28.00. It´ll hold for a few more years, but why wait?
