McCrea’s Amerique bottling uses one and two-year-old American oak and tries for an Australian Shiraz flavor. I’m not sure it wouldn’t be better just being what it is— a crisp, oaky, cool climate Syrah from Washington state, which in this vintage is almost one quarter Mourvedre. The plummy fruit carries a lot of toasty, nutty cracker flavors from the barrel aging, overlaid with zesty citrus, one of the hallmarks of Washington Syrah. ——P.G.(12/31/2006)—— 89