Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Ancient Stones Vineyard in the Rocks region of Walla Walla, the 2018 Syrah Domaine De Pierres is 100% Syrah that was not destemmed and was brought up in a mix of small and larger barrels. Classic Rocks notes of red and blue fruits, peppered game, exotic flowers, sweet mulch, and other herbal and cedary notes define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a soft, rounded texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. While it has plenty of funkiness, it also has ample fruit as well as purity. It's approachable today yet will keep for 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
A chewy, savory red with aromas of cherries, boysenberries, herbs, charcoal, whole peppercorn and Indian spices. Sweet tobacco. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins and bright acidity. Flavorful, rich and deliciously spicy. Long, polished finish. Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from the Ancient Stones vineyard in the Rocks District of Walla Walla Valley, comes the 2018 Syrah Domaine de Pierres is 100% Syrah and was made with 100% whole-cluster fermentation. The wine is deep ruby colored and opens to a nose that is immediately impressive, showcasing a high-toned red-berry fruit essence with a mineral tension. Seductive aromas of black raspberry, nuances of smoked meats, black pepper and cherry blossom tones emanate from the glass. Medium-bodied but jam-packed with complexity, flavors of black cherry and dusty pepper skin begin to tie the tongue with flavors of dried herbs, hung and curing sausages with a red fruit compote expression. The structure and balance are completely mind-blowing, and the wine ends with a long, winding, evolving and complex finish. Boom! This is absolutely stellar by the way that shines through with beauty and elegance and will age like a champ.
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Vinous
Bright, dark red. Musky peppery lift to the highly complex aromas of raspberry, spices, soy sauce, rose petal, black olive and game; a meaty high-pH quality is in balance with the wine's other components. Densely packed, silky and utterly suave, with dark raspberry and subtle game flavors lifted by captivating black olive, licorice, pepper and herb notes. This wonderfully fine-grained, bright, smooth wine delivers terrific density and umami silkiness without any heaviness; in fact, it's downright light on its feet owing to its inner-mouth aromatic lift. Perhaps most impressive today on the very subtle, building, floral aftertaste, where a fine dusting of tannins coats the entire palate.
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas offer notes of iron, firepit, stem, Mandarin orange and black olive—classically Rocks District. The firepit and other savory flavors are intense, bringing textural richness, lingering on the finish. It's the winery's most complete and captivating offering from the Rocks to date.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.