Wine: Washington Syrahs

“One of my resolutions for 2014 is to keep a closer eye on Washington state Syrah,” said Mary Ewing-Mulligan in WineReviewOnline.com. Now the state’s third-most-planted red grape, Syrah shows unusual range here, expressing itself in superb wines that can be either austere or “near-jammy.”

2011 Owen Roe ‘Ex Umbris’($28). A “voluptuous” marriage of “ripe blackberry fruit, black pepper, and smoky notes,” this bold wine gains structure from firm tannins.

2009 Terra Blanca Arch Terrace($25).This wine sits “at the opposite end of the style spectrum,” suggesting “smoked meat, sour cherry, cedar, and tobacco.”

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2010 Gramercy Cellars

‘Lagniappe’($55). The oldest Syrah vines in the stateadd a red-fruit note to this “velvety-textured” and “rather quiet” wine. It’ll get even better with age.