The Originals Syrah 2019 is $5.99 Trader Joe’s wine sourced from grapes grown in Washington State. The Originals wine brand started as a brand from Charles Smith/K Vintners along with Precept Wine Company the largest independently owned wine company in Washington.
Ten or twelve years ago this was a single vineyard wine from a vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of the Columbia Valley and listed for $22. In 2017, the Originals brand had a line of wine from top vineyards thru-out the state. Today, the Originals wine brands have disappeared from the web.
Over the last 10 or 15 years, Charles Smith wines/K VItners has started several wine brands and then sold them a the peak of their popularity. I couldn’t find any information on what happened to the Originals Wine Company in the last few years. The Originals Syrah 2019 looks like it is an orphan wine.
The label is part of Charles Smith wines’ artwork aesthetic, black letter on a white background, it fits with their entire line of wines. Charles Smith/K Vintners is one of the elite Syrah producers in the US, they routinely produce Syrah wines that receive 100 points in the leading wine magazines.
They know how to make Syrah and have contacts at all the best Columbia Valley vineyards. The question is, is The Originals Syrah 2019 one of the brands they sold off, or did they still have a hand in its production. The back label says “vinted and bottled by The Originals, Walla Walla, Washington, which happens to be K Vintners headquarters.
With so little information available, I am having to guess, but this looks like this originally was a $15 to $20 wine. A 2019 vintage wine released for sale in the spring of 2022 has a good deal of age. The more intensive the winemaking process the longer the wine needs to age to find its balance and be available for sale,
Nobody intentionally ages a $5.99 wine for 2 1/2 years, it does not make good economic sense. With Covid wreaking havoc with 2020 and most of 2021 this may well be a wine that was left-over and needs to be sold. Maybe Trader Joe’s and we wine drinkers have an excellent bargain wine. The alcohol content is 14.1%.
The Originals Syrah 2019 Tasting Notes
The color is barely see-thru cherry red with very black highlights. The nose is an initial blast of ripe blackberry, toasty vanilla, a smoky, savory aroma, sour cherry, bitter dark chocolate, and cooking spice. The Originals Syrah 2019 is a medium to full-bodied wine, with excellent weight on the palate.
This Syrah tastes like smooth blackberry, intense licorice, a slap of black pepper, and soft plum. The mid-palate brings bitter chocolate, raspberry, exotic spice, and a late hit of blueberry. This Syrah has a smooth almost creamy texture along with sweet tannins.
The Summary
- The Originals Syrah 2019 is my new favorite $5.99 wine.
- If I didn’t write Cheapwinefinder.com and was always on to the next one concerning wine, I would go back to Trader Joe’s and buy a case.
