WTN: Sleight of Hand Syrah Levitation '11....(short/boring)

Tried last night this WashState Syrah:
1. Sleight of HandCllrs Syrah Levitation ColumbiaVlly (65% LesCollinesVnyd/23% Ranch at the End of the Road/12% FunkVnyd; 14.3%; [www.SoHCellars.com](http://www.SoHCellars.com)) 2011: Dark color w/ slight bricking; very strong Syrah/blackberry/plummy bit pungent/Rhonish/smokey some toasty/smokey/Fr.oak slight earthy/dusty quite interesting nose; bit soft/fat strong plummy/blackberry/Syrah some Rhonish/smokey/roasted/toasty/oak light earthy fairly classic WashState/plummy Syrah flavor w/ light smooth/ripe tannins; very long soft/ripe/plummy Syrah finish that mimics flavor; a fair amount of Fr.oak & pretty classic WashState/plummy Syrah w/ nice Rhonish character; a good/solid bit quotidian WashState Syrah but lacks structure. $45.00 (vSC)
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More nikkerlikker from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. I've followed WashState Syrah w/ varying degrees from the first days of DavidLake at ColumbiaCllrs. Recently, since SteveCostigan left LosAlamos, I've not been so au courant with them. I like a lot of the WashState Syrahs but there just seems something often missing. They often have a certain softness on the palate that I associate not w/ a lack of acidity but more w/ high pH wines. Something a little out of balance.
Tom

[Jenise]

Of all the things you and I drink, Washington state syrah is easily the only one in which I have more experience than you, albeit more recent and not "from the very start". But that's a plus, because evolution has changed the landscape. The sweeter, candied styles once favored (like McCrea) are no longer the norm as wineries like Cayuse, Devison, Gramercy, Delmas, Reynvaan and now Pasxa and WeatherEye have proven that the Northern Syrah style are eminently possible.

Trey Busch's SofH wines aren't looking to be that. His wines are more modern, and he has a loyal following including celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris (pictured on one of his labels). They are a little more extracted. Yours seemed less so due to the very cold '11 vintage--it would not be considered typical of what he does. His work is certainly good overall, but sometimes just a little over the top. Not exactly a surprise if you check out the T&A photos of his burlesque dancer wife on Instagram. It all kind of fits together.