Almost instantly identifiable as the Ciel du Cheval Syrah, this big and spicy wine offers berries galore. Though held back an extra couple of years before release, it has lost none of its freshness or vitality. Smooth and long, it rolls into a generous wash of butterscotch and chocolate, dotted with spice and finished with a mineral base.——P.G.(12/15/2011)—— 93

Small berries with thick skins give this wine concentration and tannin, making some extra time in bottle mandatory. It’s still tight, and the layers of graphite and earth complement without concealing the lighter floral aromas and pretty, wild berry fruit. It rolls into a complex finish with black fruits, cola, licorice and baking chocolate, all lightly applied and in perfect proportion.——P.G.(9/1/2009)—— 91

The 2004 Syrah Ciel du Cheval is ripe and rich but comes up a bit short on complexity. Doug McCrea is one of Washington’s leading proponents of Rhone Ranger style wines. He gets considerable credit for getting Syrah underway in the State. He currently produces 3500 cases from his new winery from some of Washington’s finest terroirs. www.mccreacellars.com

Here is ripe—very ripe—fruit showing plum and prune and mince pie, along with chocolate and balsamic streaks. The refinement and layering of flavors found in past vintages is not evident; this is a somewhat blocky, slightly hot, almost rustic wine. Yet it lacks not at all for flavor, and could pass for a wine that has some extra cellar time behind it.——P.G.(3/1/2008)—— 87