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Washington Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon

How do Washington's wines fit in?

Alistair Cooper
Alistair Cooper MW
Wednesday 3 June 2020
Pepper Bridge vineyard in Walla Walla, Washington state

Alistair Cooper MW immerses himself in the state's Syrahs and Cabernets for the first time and compares them with their counterparts elsewhere.

In the halcyon days preceding the onset of coronavirus mayhem in the UK, I unwittingly attended what was to be my last London tasting for the foreseeable future. A generic tasting of the wines of Washington state, the unsung heroes of American wine, took place at the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras station. In this twilight zone time warp in which we now exist, it seems simply aeons ago that this tasting took place.

I am no expert...