A beautiful Syrah that comes half from the Ranch at the End of the Road vineyard in Red Mountain (which is a region that excelled in 2011) and half from the Portteus vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, the 2011 Syrah Columbia Valley exhibits classic blackberry, blueberry, licorice, crushed rock and hints of crushed flowers to go with a full-bodied, concentrated, yet focused style on the palate. A blend of 100% Syrah that spent 27 months in 40% new French oak, it has beautifully integrated acidity, fine tannin and a rock-solid finish. Drink it over the coming decade. This Walla Walla estate is owned and run by Justin Wylie. He excelled with his 2011 and 2012s. Tel. (509) 529-0900; www.vapianovineyards.com

Sourced from six sites, Va Piano’s 2008 Syrah delivers sappy elderberry and blueberry tinged with black pepper, oregano, and salt. Rather opaque in overall impression, with considerable bitterness and a bit of drying to its finish from wood tannin (though its proportion of new barrels was only 30%), this nonetheless represents a harmoniously ripe, diverse and persistent effort for enjoying over the next year or two. Owner-winemaker Justin Wylie styles Va Piano “Tuscan-themed,” though the only two wines I had a chance to sample did not recognizably fit that description. The winery opened in 2005, but the eponymous family estate vineyard in Walla Walla – into which a number of wineries are very successfully tapping – was planted in 1999. Tel. (509) 529-0900

Young, tart, bright with blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors, dappled with pepper. The aromas give you a taste of the complexity; in the mouth there is primary fruit, a wash of acidity, and yet the promise is so much more. Give it some time in the cellar.——P.G.(7/1/2011)—— 91

This is the only Va Piano wine I was able to taste. The 2007 Syrah was sourced from 4 vineyards and aged in 30% new French oak for 15 months. Purple-colored, it offers up a bouquet of mineral, underbrush, smoked meat, blueberry and plum. Plush, ripe, and savory on the palate, this layered effort has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years and will provide optimal drinking from 2011 to 2019. Tel. (509) 529-0900; www.vapianovineyards.com