Winemaker Notes
Our commitment to Walla Walla Valley is steadfast; our block of Les Collines Vineyard is here supplemented by fruit from the stonier areas of the Walla Walla Valley. Our preference for only light amounts of new oak had to accommodate the richer Syrah style that the “stones” produces, but we stayed true to our use of only 500L French puncheons.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Precise and elegantly structured, with multilayered boysenberry, forest floor and crushed stone flavors that build richness and tension toward refined tannins.
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Tasting Panel
This earthy and superb red is poised, with notes of animale, white pepper, sas safras, boysenberry, and grilled meat. Welldeveloped flavors, texture, and acidity allow it to perform nicely with an array of cuisines.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier from the Less Collines and Elle's Vineyard in Walla Walla, the 2019 Syrah Walla Walla is a pretty, elegant, medium-bodied wine offering subtle yet outstanding aromas and flavors of spiced red fruits, leafy herbs, new leather, and dried flowers. It builds nicely on the palate, has supple tannins, and again, shines for its balance and purity more than outright power. It's a beautiful wine from this estate.
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.