L’Ecole No. 41 Syrah, Columbia Valley, 2021

Katie here. I so often find wines of great quality from Washington, and I always find Syrah so interesting, that I can never pass up a Washington Syrah. After days of slathering my toddler in creams and coaxing him to swallow antibiotics three times daily for his impetigo, it was time for a glass of wine while I read Lord of the Rings for the tenth time and listened to the rain.

Fortunately, we had this gem of a wine on the rack:

L’Ecole No. 41 Syrah, Columbia Valley, 2021

A great rainy day wine

Syrahs very often have a somewhat meaty smell to them—not in a bad way at all, but it’s one of the qualities of a wine that can give it away on a blind tasting as Syrah. There’s not a strong meaty presence in this one, but it is there. Maybe that’s why it makes me think of roasted fruit. Just the night before, I helped a friend serve his homemade pizzas from his outdoor pizza oven at a big event, and the dessert pizza had strawberries on it—this wine reminds me of those roasted strawberries. But when you taste it, the fruit flavors are DARK: dark, ripe cherries and blackberries and plums. Those fruit flavors are enhanced by warm baking spices and a hint of leather. It’s big and full and smooth and wonderful, perfect for a rainy evening. Also classic to Syrahs, it does have peppery notes to it, but it doesn’t come on strong. This wine is delightful, and everything I wanted out of my Washington Syrah during my moment of relaxation. And the price is stellar!

This wine sells for $28 at Jacob Liquor.