Winemaker Notes
Cote-Rotie anyone? From a 10 acre vineyard planted in 1997 (5 acres are Syrah) - this is one of Christophe's most famous vineyards - planted on old riverbed rock. Stylistically, this is bold, exhuberant Syrah - very similar to a northern Rhone Cote-Rotie. Blackberry, black pepper, a hint of olive, with a long, pure finish - dynamite!
"Full, deep red. Musky, raw syrah aromas of pepper, espresso, roasted herbs and crunchy berries. Sweet, rich, creamy and sexy, with a distinctly French texture. Still a bit reduced but already quite expressive, in the style of the vintage. Finishes with very suave tannins and excellent length. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this showed captivating aromas of raspberry, smoke and underbrush and a silkiness of texture that reminded me of a big Burgundy."
-International Wine Cellar
"This one jumps out of the glass with ripe currant, blackberry, mineral and dusky herb flavors, finishing with a savory character that's reminiscent of salted meat. Distinctive and complex, this has miles to go before it's fully developed. Best from 2008 through 2015."
-Wine Specatator
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Incredible fruit intensity. Cranberry, pomegranate and cherry meet rock, gravel and pepper. Lovely focus and purity; it's concentrated and tight, with a minerality that is compelling and distinctive. The best yet from Cailloux. Syrah is co-fermented with 4 or 5% Viognier. It's a world-class effort, still quite young and tight, but built for beautiful aging.
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.