2000 Apex Syrah

I guess it looks like we are on an Apex kick. Knowing Brian Carter, we shouldn't have expected a kick-ass in-your-face Syrah. But we didn't expect such a silky, soft, smooth, elegant full of fruit Merlot-like wine either. If it didn't just taste like a well-made Chateauneuf-du-Papes, we might have thought of a soft Merlot-based Bordeaux. This subtle, gentle, graceful, balanced wine just doesn't quite fit the prototype of Washington State Syrah with the hallmark pepper and spice, but who cares. It is delicious. Perhaps the style follows from the use of Yakima Valley grapes, but I think it is more a reflection of Brian's signature style of winemaking.