Winemaker Notes
With three-foot by three-foot spacing and 4,840 vines per acre, this two acre vineyard of Syrah and Grenache is the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley, and one of the highest in North America.
Blend: 100% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
White pepper spice explodes on the nose of the 2022 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard, a medium-bodied wine aged 15 months in neutral French oak that’s feral on the palate in sanguine meat and earthiness. Supple texture and an ethereal quality make it nearly Pinot Noir-esque in character, while showing the appellation’s particular propensity for growing superb Grenache. Age another 10-12 years.
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James Suckling
Intense and persistent, this grenache bursts with wild aromas of crushed raspberries, chilies and dried rose petals. Sichuan peppercorns and blood oranges are laced with hints of dried mint leaves and smoked sea salt. The medium- to full-bodied palate is tense and bold with gripping spices, firm tannins and a long, tight and chalky finish. Vivid and untamed. Around 70% whole-cluster fermentation. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028.
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Wine Spectator
Savory and supple, with nuanced flavors of raspberry and cherry laced with bacon fat, garrigue, black olive and crushed stone notes that build richness toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2035.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.