Co-fermented with 1% Viognier, Spring Valley Vineyard’s 2012 Nina Lee Syrah opens with a lilting topnote of dried violet that floats above weightier aromas of blackberry cobbler and black cherry. The wine’s namesake, a nod to the family’s enduring history in Walla Walla, Nina Lee was the wife of Frederick Corkrum. After meeting following her vaudeville performance at a local theater, they married in 1929. It’s a full and supple wine, nicely balanced with velvety tannins and a winsome dash of pink peppercorn on the finish. Sample
9.0 Points