The 2006 Nina Lee Syrah (100%) spent 21 months in 48% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it exhibits a perfume of damp earth, underbrush, sage, blueberry, and blackberry. On the palate this full-bodied, brooding effort is currently tightly wound and a bit compact as a result. However, it seems to have the balance to evolve for several years, which should permit the wine to reveal its full potential. Spring Valley Vineyard produces wine from 100% estate-grown fruit, a relative rarity in Washington. The winery is owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates but the Derby family from whom they purchased the brand continues to own the vineyards. Tel. (509) 337-6915; www.springvalleyvineyard.com

As usual, the Nina Lee Syrah is dark, chewy, and hits the mid-fifteens with its alcohol. But it somehow pulls together an impression of balance, highlighted by sweet and tangy blueberry/blackberry fruit. The acids are not quite integrated, and the wine has lost some subtlety – it has traded its elegance for sheer fruit power.——P.G.(9/1/2009)—— 88