The 2004 Doyenne Syrah from DeLille Cellars is a great example of a Rhone style wine from Washington State. DeLille created a new brand named Doyenne for their Rhone styled wines. The colorful label was designed by a Chinese artist named Z.Z. Wei who immigrated to Washington in the early 1990’s. The label depicts Wei’s interpretation of Red Mountain AVA of where the grapes were sourced from. Winemaker Chris Upchurch co-fermented this syrah with 3% Viognier.
The 2004 Doyenne Syrah is a deep, inky ruby color with no signs of rim separation despite the fact it’s been in the bottle for 10 years. It still retains scents of violets amid the ripe black fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and black cherry. It’s a full bodied wine with gobs of fruit, black pepper, and spices on the palate. The tannins have eased up and are now in perfect balance with the fruit. The alcohol is 15.4 % but does not feel out of balance in the wine. This lush, juicy wine has a lengthy finish. It could age longer but I really enjoy how this wine is showing right now.
