What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD)

Ever since several readers had recommended a visit to Otis Kenyon winery in Walla Walla, I have been eager to try one of their wines. It was rather fortuitous that I received a bottle of Otis Kenyon 2005 Syrah (14.3%) in the mixed case prize from Northwest Palate a few months back.

With some steaks to grill, I thought it was an opportune time to pull the Otis Kenyon from the cellar and give it a try. Our dinner consisted of grilled tri-tips with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and twice baked potatoes. As much as we enjoyed the meal, the Otis Kenyon was a bit of a letdown after all of the positive comments I had heard about their wines.

We found the wine a bit flat overall, with some nice fruit on the nose, but not a lot of character on the palate. Even after an hour or so, the wine failed to open up and reveal anything more than that offered in the first few sips. We even gave it another day, whereupon some stronger dark cherry notes became apparent, but nothing more.

I am eager to try their other Walla Walla Valley wines, especially their cabernet sauvignon. The intriguing Otis Kenyon story, which the bottle's back label alludes to, is one you must read about on the winery's web site. I only wish they offered more details on their wines, as I would have liked to know where the syrah's fruit was sourced from in the valley.

Regardless, I am glad to have had the opportunity to try an Otis Kenyon wine with dinner and look forward to visiting their winery on my next visit to Walla Walla.