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Vin du Lac 2007 Red Café Syrah


Saturday I was at the local Costco, shopping for last minute 4th of July goodies. Naturally, I gravitated towards the wine section in the back of the store. I was happy to discover a display for Vin du Lac winery. Vin du Lac is one of my favorite Lake Chelan wineries. Even better, Dreux Dillingham, Assistant Winemaker was there in person.

I first discovered Lake Chelan had wineries in 2006 while on vacation. My first exposure to Vin du Lac wines was in 2008 at Taste Washington Seattle.

Since this is Washington State, Dreux was not allowed to pour me a sample of wine at Costco (boo hoo). He had a Riesling, Red Cuvee and a Syrah. Not being familiar with the Vin du Lac Red wines, I asked Dreux to recommend a wine that would go with the steaks I was buying for dinner. Dreux recommended the 2007 Red Café Syrah. It was an unexpected pleasure to meet Mr. Dillingham and I enjoyed our conversation.

Once I had the wine home, I pulled the cork almost immediately. Synthetic closure, no big, plastic corks ensure the wine is protected and remains tasty. This Syrah is immediately expressive; I found it smoky, dark, almost earthy and quite meaty. The tannins are medium and braced with good acidity. There's a lot of life in this wine, which allowed me to enjoy it another day. On day two, notes of violets emerged, along with a touch of leather. This is the style of Syrah I like these days. Quite good, fair price (about $13) and complimented my grilled steak.

Thanks for the recommendation Dreux, I hope to have an opportunity to visit your winery in lovely Lake Chelan.

Cheers!
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