Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the more black and blue-fruited Syrahs in the lineup in 2021, the 2021 Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard is deep ruby/plum-hued and offers a beautiful perfume of ground pepper, liquid violets, crushed stone, and bouquet garni. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and ripe, polished tannins.
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Vinous
Nuances of blood orange and sweet sage give way to seared meat, sawdust and dried black cherries as the seductively savory 2021 Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard explodes from the glass. It's cool-toned and sleek with sinewy textures and masses of dark red and black fruits infused with licorice. Edgy tannins, a core of salty minerals and a hint of bull's blood embellish the long and structured finish.
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James Suckling
Olives in brine, chiles, pink and green peppercorns and charred rosemary on the nose. Follows through to a meaty, smoky and seriously savory palate. Some iron and rust. Medium- to full-bodied with grip and tension. Brooding. Around 70% whole cluster. From biodynamically grown grapes.
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Wine Enthusiast
If you love black fruit, the En Chamberlin will steal your heart with its aroma of sweet Ponca blackberries. Following the Poncas are aromas of violets and honey-like red clover. There are more blackberries on the palate to accompany dark chocolate, nutmeg and black tea. Silky tannins and an elegant texture await.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Syrah en Chamberlin Vineyard displays a firm ruby hue with a magenta core, revealing hints of garnet at the rim. This medium-bodied wine offers a smoky, meaty profile with a broad structure and ripe, round tannins. Complex flavors, including bacon fat, spiced plum compote and savory umami essence, unfold on the palate. The finish is long and spicy, making it highly food friendly. This has me daydreaming about fire-roasted lamb chops. The wine aged for 18 months, with 15% to 20% new French oak contributing to its depth and complexity.
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Wine Spectator
A distinctive and deeply structured Syrah, bursting with blueberry and raspberry flavors highlighted by bacon fat, licorice and crushed stone as this builds richness toward big but polished tannins.
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.