2016 Penner-Ash Syrah
2016 Penner-Ash Syrah
The 2016 Penner-Ash Oregon Syrah is a decadent taste profile composed of dusted dark chocolate mixed with blackberry fruit compote on vanilla ice cream, and further accentuated by a slightly wood smoky note. Sweetness and intensity merge together at entry and then finish with a lengthy and creamy lushness.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (92/100)
The 2016 Syrah has a vibrant ruby-purple color and very pretty nose of blackberries, crushed black currants, violets, dried herbs and bay leaves with hints of cocoa and prosciutto. The medium to full-bodied palate blossoms slowly, expertly framed by firm, grainy tannins and juicy lift, finishing nuanced and savory. This is a great middle-of-the-road style—not too much, not too little.
Vinous (91/100)
Bright violet. Expressive black and blue fruit aromas are complemented by floral and cola notes and a hint of cracked pepper. Smooth and seamless on the palate, offering juicy blackberry and boysenberry flavors that slowly tighten up on the back half. Finishes on a faintly smoky note, with strong persistence and supple, even tannins making a late appearance. Drinking window: 2021 – 2027.
Penner-Ash Wine Cellars embodies the spirit and passion of small producers focusing on Pinot Noir in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. After working for some of Napa’s premier wineries and Rex Hill Vineyards in Oregon, winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash and her husband, Ron, started Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in 1998. In the winery, the focus is on small-lot indigenous yeast fermentation with extended cold soaks to extract a rich, fruit-focused, textured mouth feel. Each lot is treated individually and depending on the outcome, either blended into their reserve quality Willamette Valley Pinot Noir or bottled separately as a vineyard designate.
Home to some of America’s most celebrated Pinot Noir, Oregon maintains a tight focus on small production, high quality wine even while the state’s industry enjoys steady growth. As a world-renowned wine region, Oregon has more than 700 wineries and is home to well over 70 grape varieties. With a mostly Mediterranean climate, its cooler and wetter regions lie in the west, close to the Pacific Coast.
By far the most reputed region is the Willamette Valley, which is further subdivided into six smaller appellations: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.