Winemaker Notes
Displaying with a pale ruby-colored edge, the wine unfolds its wings in the glass showing the elegance of Pinot Noir but with the savoriness of Syrah. Elements of crushed violets, sweet raspberry, lavender and rose petal all capture the attention first before showing subtle savory notions of black pepper, crushed rock and worn leather. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is framed by a well-balanced structure, with energetic acidity and mouthwatering tannins, before ending with a long, lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dried blackcurrant, smoked meat, rosemary, peppercorn, moss, oyster shell and tangerine peel on the nose. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins. Rich, savory and spiced with lasting intensity. Chewy, lingering herb notes. Try from 2022.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Christophe often releases a special blend in magnum (he never says which vineyards it’s from), and the 2018 Syrah Special #12 is another gorgeous wine. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue as well as classic Rocks notes of blue fruits, ground pepper, bacon fat, lavender, and violets, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for two decades.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earth, funk, smoked meat, ash, black olive, peat and medicinal aromas lead to a tour de force of fruit and savory flavors that are flat-out intense. It's the finish of this wine, however, that most impresses. It grabs you and shakes you and refuses to let go. It's shockingly good.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
A dynamic red, detailed and well-focused, with vibrant black raspberry, crushed stone, bacon fat and green peppercorn flavors that march on the long finish to fine-grained tannins. Drink now
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Marked as #12 in the sequence of releases, the 2018 Wallah Wallah Syrah Special displays a dark ruby core and seductive dark fruit tones that sway with spiced potpourri, dried flowers, blackberry essence and spiced cherry compote. Medium to full-bodied, the wine offers a delicious array of fresh, ripe fruits that oscillate between an elegant and spicy nature, with flavors of dusty, worn leather, red and black peppercorns, umami and baked earth. The wine somersaults to an elongated, juicy and mineral-laced finish and will undoubtedly bring pleasure for the next few decades. It rested for 19 months in approximately 15% new French oak barrels. Christophe Baron certainly loves magnums, and this should age beautifully. The only challenge will be trying to keep your hands off the bottle while it's resting in the cellar since it's both age-worthy and crushable.
Rating: 95+
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.