Syncline’s new releases include one white wine, the 2009 Roussanne (100%) sourced primarily from the McKinley Springs Vineyard. It was fermented and aged in neutral oak sur lie with no malolactic fermentation. Candle wax, honey, mineral, pear, and tropical aromas inform the nose of a round, smooth-textured, pleasure-bent white with impeccable balance and a lengthy, pure finish. Drink this Rhone Ranger over the next 3-4 years. James and Poppie Mantone’s Syncline Wine Cellars is on the eastern edge of the beautiful Columbia Gorge, an area better known for outdoor sports (fishing, boating, wind surfing) than wine production.Tel: (509) 365-4361; www.synclinewine.com

James Mantone’s white wines are always full of delicious fruits, but they go beyond that, bringing in sometimes exotic, often surprising grace notes. Here there is a pure thread of caraway, running through the melon and white peach core. It’s 100% Roussanne, giving a rare and interesting glimpse into what specific identity the grape might have in Washington’s future. ——P.G.(12/31/2010)—— 88