Allen Shoup is considered one of the pioneers of the Washington wine industry. He was the CEO of Stimson Lane wine group for years. During that time, he oversaw their portfolio of wineries, including Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest, and forged relationships with many important players in the wine business around the world. Upon retirement, he pursued his dream of bringing some of the most highly acclaimed winemakers from different regions around the world to Washington to make world-class wines from Washington grapes comparable to the wines they make in their native wine regions. The Long Shadows winemaker-partners began crafting their signature wines in 2003.

Through the years, we’ve had the pleasure of tasting a number of Long Shadows wines. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2011 Sequel Syrah in a blind samples tasting. It “wow”-ed us! Not only is it an amazing wine, but it also delivers serious bang for your buck.

Sequel is a Syrah made by John Duval, one of the most famous winemakers in Australia and around the world. He is best known for his work with Penfolds Grange, Australia’s most famous wine, and now owns his own John Duval Wines.

2011 Sequel Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): 94% Syrah and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark, dense purple. Gorgeous nose with blackberry and spice aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, lingering finish. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $50; Available elsewhere, $42 to $53

Long Shadows Vintners: 2011 Sequel Syrah [Wow! Alert] was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Strictly red wine producers, Fielding Hills makes a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a red blend called Tribute. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste all five of their new releases from the 2011 vintage in a blind samples tasting. Our favorite was the 2011 Syrah, which is outstanding. The 2011 Merlot and 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon were also quite impressive. Those three wines also deliver serious bang for your buck.

If you are ever in the Wenatchee area, Fielding Hills is a stop you do not want to miss. I encourage you to give Mike and Karen a call to make an appointment to visit the winery. This fall, Fielding Hills will open a new tasting room in Lake Chelan. Regardless of whether you are able to visit or not, I encourage you to get your hands on a bottle or two of Fielding Hills wine and enjoy.

2011 Fielding Hills Syrah (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 94% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Dark, dense purplish red in color. Gorgeous nose with blackcurrant, black cherry, and savory aromas. Fruit-forward with black fruit and savory notes on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, and a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $38

2011 Fielding Hills Merlot (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 81% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Dark purplish red. Beautiful nose with black plum, black cherry, and spice box aromas. More black plum and spice box come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $36

2011 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Syrah, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Nice nose with blackcurrant, black cherry, leather, and earth aromas. More black fruit, leather, and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $42

2011 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 85% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red in color. Aromatic with black fruit, earth, and a touch of spice on the nose. Black cherry and leather come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30

2011 Fielding Hills Tribute Red Wine (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 55% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep red. Aromatic with black fruit and faint floral notes on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $38

New Releases from Fielding Hills, 2011 Vintage was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The 2007 vintage was one of the best vintages in the history of Washington State. We featured 2007 Washington Syrah in a couple of our wine tasting dinners several years ago when those wines were recently released. Now that wines from the 2007 vintage have some bottle age on them, we decided to revisit some of those Washington Syrahs in our wine tasting dinner last Friday. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, ensalada mixta salad, grilled beef tenderloin steak, Swiss chard with caramelized onions, roasted rosemary tri-colored potatoes, and topped off with eclair cake garnished with whipped topping and raspberries for dessert.

Wines from Grand Rêve Vintners (now known as Force Majeure Vineyards), Rasa Vineyards, and Kerloo Cellars came out on top in this stellar lineup. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these wines. Washington State produces fabulous Syrah, and the winemakers who made these six wines are among the state’s best. At seven years old, these wines are all drinking beautifully and should have a number of good years left.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series III (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Syrah. Winemaker Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery. Dark, dense red. Very aromatic with earth, herbs, blackberry, and licorice on the nose. Red and black fruit, licorice, and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $60 to $95

2007 Rasa Vineyards Principia Reserve Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Dark, dense red. Gorgeous nose with a lot going on aromatically. Blackberry, black plum, clove, pepper, smoked meat, and pencil lead fill both the nose and palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high yet silky tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $85

2007 Kerloo Cellars Les Collines Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dark red. Beautiful nose with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and spice. More blackberry and black cherry as well as leather and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $29

2007 Fielding Hills Syrah (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Very aromatic with blackberry, black cherry, mocha, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40; Available elsewhere, $38 to $42

2007 Corliss Estates Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Nice nose with earth and black fruit aromas. More earth and black fruit as well as smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $55; Available elsewhere, $60

2007 Sequel Syrah [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Nose is a bit tight at first, then black fruit and smoky aromas come through. Black fruit, black pepper, and spice dominate the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $44

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2007 Washington Syrah Revisited was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.