This is a true sampling Syrah from a myriad of Oregon vineyards. Fruit from both the southern Rogue Valley as well as the much cooler sites of the Columbia River Gorge (which can be even cooler than the Willamette Valley itself). This wine is awfully pretty and accented with some aromatics of new French oak, creme brulee, blackberry and spice. The palate is mostly fruit forward, there are hints of turned earth mixed with with ripe blackberry and sweet blue fruit flavors. This fills up your palate and coats the mouth for quite a long finish.

It’s a medium-bodied Syrah with flavors of blackberry, tart cherry, plum, earth, and white pepper. The finish is clean and balanced with some vanilla and spice.

What to Drink Now: Syrah and Rhone Varieties From Willamette Valley’s Penner-Ash Cellars showcasing the warm-weather vineyards of Southern Oregon, delivering ripe red berry, baking spice, and toasted vanilla, enhanced by 17 months of partially new and partially neutral French oak aging.

Syrah is not the red grape that leaps to mind when we think of Oregon; that would be pinot noir. Still, a surprising number of wineries produce syrah in the Beaver State, and among the best is Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, also known, of course, for its excellent pinot noir wines. The Penner-Ash Syrah 2015, carrying a general Oregon designation, derived from six vineyards. The wine aged 17 months in French oak, 30 percent new barrels, 35 percent one-year-old, 15 percent two-year old and 20 percent neutral. The result is a syrah that displays plenty of power and energy without being overwhelmed by a tide of oak, the influence of which remains steady but suave and subtle. The color is unimpeachable motor oil black-purple that devolves to a narrow, gleaming magenta rim; aromas of spiced and macerated black cherries, currants and plums are permeated by penetrating beams of iodine and iron, a characteristic graphite-granitic quality that drives the wine from initial sniff and sip through the spice-and-mineral-packed finish. Velvety, grainy tannins provide a bolster for the lip-smacking acidity that helps animate the wine, while a few minutes in the glass unfurl an intense core of lavender and violets, loam and bittersweet chocolate. 14.9 percent alcohol. A classy, well-knit syrah for drinking with hearty fare through 2021 to ’23. Excellent.

Holiday wines and gift ideas Wonderful Syrah that is strong all-around, but especially forward on the palate with beautiful fruit, exceptional balance and an extended finish featuring lingering fruit and complexity.

Production for the 2018 Viognier is pegged at 1,400 cases of this delightful white. Crisp and clean with abundant acidity and a refreshing mouth feel.

Obsession in the Willamette Valley, Part Three We tasted eight wines, and I’m going to focus on four. The first is the 2017 viognier, which has set my standard for domestic viognier since I first tried it a few years ago. Viognier should be have a lush sensation, but too often it’s produced to the point of opulence, which is a mistake as the variety easily slides into flabby territory if not restrained before it enters that zone. Viognier can have trouble putting on enough acid to be interesting, even under the attentive watch of the winemaker. This makes the winemaker’s role a necessary but insufficient part of achieving nice acid. What has made Penner-Ash’s viognier the standard for me is that Lynn gets the right level of acid and body restraint, and finds a nice balance, every year. The 2017 is full-bodied, ripe and lush to the extent that it hits an unusual level of elegance for the variety. The acid is sharp, clean and maintains an engaging tension from first taste to finish. The flavors are tropical and spicy. I always look forward to a bottle of Penner-Ash viognier.

But, as the wine industry matured, the number of female winemakers increased. Penner-Ash was one of the first through the door, but she’s had three decades and proved she’s a highly skilled winemaker. The early days might have been rough, but she persevered and still turns out wines like the Penner-Ash Viognier 2017, a brilliantly diverse wine with crisp apple snap and creamy key lime pie flavors. It’s a stunning dichotomy and Penner-Ash said the Viognier picks up its aromatics from the cool Oregon nights where the grapes get recharge from daytime temperatures and “stay bright and fresh.”

Raise a glass to women in wine this month This month we toast women. March 8 marks International Women’s Day, with the entire month of March celebrating Women’s History Month. To celebrate, enjoy a few wines made by women. Though the number of female winemakers nationally and internationally is still small, the number is growing, with female owners, winemakers, enologists, and vintners taking their rightful place at the table, producing stellar wines from all over the world. Consider one of these selections to honor women, all available throughout Hawaii Island. As the first female winemaker of note in Oregon, Lynn Penner-Ash has led the way for women in wine throughout the state, particularly in Willamette Valley. She and her husband, Ron Penner-Ash, started their Penner-Ash Winery in 1998 with a focus on producing premium pinot noir from throughout Willamette Valley. Today, Lynn leads her all women winemaking team to create elegant, expressive wines, like Penner-Ash Viognier ($42) layering wisteria, honey, melon, and apple.

3 Delicious Penner-Ash Releases Worth Hunting Dow Wow, this is an interesting Viognier with layers of orange blossom, citrus and honeysuckle notes. Its medium-bodied weightiness caries through to the clean, tangerine and honey flavored finish. This would make a perfect aperitif or it would pair well with Thai dishes or seafood accompanied with fruity compotes like apricots and peaches. Delicious!

White of the Week, 17.4/20 points Our tasters: Missed a unanimous recommendation by one-tenth of a point but received six scores of 9. "Floral, well-textured." My score: 9. "Bright, crisp flavors. Honeysuckle."

Outstanding and Wine of the Week Pioneering winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash long has favored Southern Oregon for her Viognier program, and sites such as Crater View (61%) and RoxyAnn (25%) have allowed her to more than triple production of this white Rhône variety since 2010. Her work with the 2016 vintage ranks among Oregon’s largest and alongside the Northwest’s most expressive and balanced examples. Aromas of Pink Lady apple, white peach, anise and blanched almond lead to flavors of pineapple, dried apricot and cantaloupe. In the background is a fascinating pulse of lime acidity that allows this to standout from a crowd of Viognier, a grape that easily can lead to flabbiness. Enjoy with steamed mussels, roasted chicken, pork chops, turkey or springtime salads.

The Wines of Oregon and Washington are Poised for Greatness on the World In Oregon, a similar sense of vinous diversity is manifesting itself. Indeed, the state may be best known for its world-class Pinot Noir, but its Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, and more are also making strides in both familiarity and prestige. (Check out the Penner-Ash Viognier 2016—SRP $30—for a delicious example: White-blossomed flowers, nectarine, fennel bulb, and honey mingle in this vibrantly fresh white.)

A well-crafted viognier, this particular wine has an attractive bouquet with notes of honeysuckle and jasmine coming from the glass.

The Great State of Oregon Wine This beautiful wine has aromas of flowers, peach and spice. There is really bright acidity, and it is clean and fresh. This wine goes great with salad and fish dishes.

3 Delicious Penner-Ash Releases Worth Hunting Down A dry old vine Riesling that offers delicious nectarine, white flowers and floral notes. It finishes strong with apple and a hint of peach. Culinary pairings are endless, from Indian curry and spicy Asian foods to seafood and mustard-based dishes. Excellent.

By the way, don’t miss the Penner-Ash Hyland Vineyard Old Vine Riesling 2015, McMinnville, a true classic of a pale, dry riesling that makes a powerful expression of petrol, heather, peaches, lime peel and intense aromas of jasmine and gardenia, its lithe texture wrapped in vibrant and vigorous acidity and a scintillating limestone element. Excellent.

I skipped out on family vacation a day early to fly to Portland for the International Pinot Noir Celebration. But, the first item of business was a comparative Riesling tasting in the barrel room at Trisaetum. Winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash compared three vintages of a single vineyard and the just off-dry 2012 was incredible with a tropical nose of pineapple and kumquats followed by ripe pear on the palate. Unfortunately, vintages 2012-2014 are sold out, but the 2015 is currently available.

This wine is redolent with stone fruit (think apricots and white peaches) and ripe Bartlett pear notes, shot through with snappy acidity and crackling minerality. Delicious.

We have been long-time fans of Syrah, and we believe that, despite its fits and starts in the market over the last decade, it is an important variety in California and will only grow more so over time. Not only can it produce wines of striking richness and depth, those wines are often undervalued, and no better examples of just that can be found than in a quartet of exceptionally fine efforts that fully deserve second mention...the rich and enormously fruity **NOVY Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2014...

...and the very rich, fully extracted **NOVY Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2014 is sure to bring smiles to every devotee of the variety.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of smoked meats, wet dirt, and white pepper layered over cassis and blackberry, In the mouth, rich blackberry and cassis fruit is draped in peanut-butter-thick tannins that linger for a long time in the finish. Excellent acidity keeps the wine leaning towards the fresh side of the spectrum, but there's no doubt that this is a massive hunk of fruit in the mouth.

Vibrant red cranberry and cherry fruit coupled with bright acid. A palatable price and a crowd pleaser. Smart.

Being a native Californian and a local in northern California wine country, I find myself drinking a lot of California wine. And when Robert Parker's annual Northern California reports are published, I'm always eager to see which wines receive the most praise. As autumn sets in and the vineyards becomes a rainbow of colors, I find myself reaching for hearty reds like Zinfandel. So, in honor of Robert Parker's Part One of his Northern California reports, I've compiled a list of 15 Zinfandels scoring 90 points or higher in Issue 227. These top-scoring Zinfandels come from appellations across Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve selected twenty great value wines from our latest Wine Advocate issue – Issue 227. Each of these wines usually retails for US$25 or less and all of them represent “outstanding” quality, meaning they have been rated by our experts at 90 points or above. So, whether you’re in the mood for a sparkling, white, rosé, red, sweet or fortified wine, we’ve got you covered this Holiday Season at the Wine Advocate.