The 2009 Syrah Ciel du Cheval Vineyard spent 15 months in seasoned oak. It displays plenty of spice, floral notes, and savory blue fruits but is essentially a straightforward offering in need of greater complexity. Drink it over the next 8 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