August Cherry Pick

Since the release of his first wine in 1997, Chuck Reininger of Reininger Winery has been producing award winning wines. Located in the Walla Walla Valley, these elegant wines are produced from premium grapes in the state of Washington.

My "Cherry Pick" for the month of August is Reininger's 2003 Syrah from the Walla Walla Valley. This 100% traditional Rhone-style Syrah has been winning awards and receiving an amazing amount of press. It placed a gold medal at the 2006 Northwest Wine Summit and an award at the 2005 Jefferson Cup Invitational. The Wine and Spirits Magazine gave this Syrah a 93 points, Wine Advocate - 92 points, Wine Enthusiast - 91 points and Wine Spectator - 90 points. Out of 38 Washington State Syrahs, The San Francisco Chronicle chose it as one of their 16 favorites.

Aged in 100% used French oak, Reininger's 2003 Syrah has a mouth of ripe juicy blueberries and a lot of earthiness. Full bodied and a little smoky with structured tannins. The San Francisco Chronicle said it is a crowd pleaser.