This Chelan winery improves from vintage to vintage. This new Syrah is satiny and rich, with pliant flavors of mixed berry, cherry and stone fruit. The new oak adds smoke and toast, but the gamy, meaty and pungently herbal notes come from the grapes. Winemaker Larry Lehmbecker has crafted a seamless and complete wine that delivers a lot of pleasure for the price.——P.G.(3/1/2008)—— 89

Somehow this seems tilted a bit too much toward the flavors of oak, perhaps because half of the barrels were new American. The scent and flavor of concentrated licorice is overwhelming, submerging the rather light flavors of the Syrah, and giving this a feeling of being a one-trick (and one note) pony. ——P.G.(3/1/2007)—— 86