Iconic regional wine reviewers Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue of Great Northwest Wine have posted their review of our 2019 Firebird Summit View Vineyard Syrah. The pair, who recently dubbed us “The Unofficial Chehalem Mountains Winery of The Tony Kornheiser Show,” have been writing about Pacific Northwest wines (including Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Idaho) for more than 35 years. They’ve previously reviewed several of our wines over the years, most recently the 2018 Villanelle Tonnelier Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir.
Here’s what they thought of our latest Milton-Freewater Syrah release:
“This decade-old, high-elevation site in the acclaimed SeVein development south of Milton-Freewater, Ore., largely is known throughout the Northwest for its work with Cabernet Sauvignon. However, Willamette Valley winemaker David Specter continues to showcase its delicious suitability for Syrah.
“The French horn player pays tribute to Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite within the name, and Specter describes the bottling as ‘a Syrah for Pinot Noir lovers.’ Indeed, it’s a cool-climate expression of Syrah that features a wide range of blue fruit tones.
“The nose opens with a rub of lavender, then black cherry, elderberry and President plum as well as sandy minerality and cedar. Plums lead the other fruit on the entry to the palate, which is juicy and a bit hedonistic before a nibble of blueberry skins in the finish. Excellent.”
Additionally, the duo note that 2019 Firebird will be one of two wines we’re featuring at the upcoming Magic in the Mountains event at The Allison Inn and Spa on Saturday, July 31, 2021.
