Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
While I don’t think the 2017 Syrah SJR Vineyard will match the out-of-this-world 2016, it’s nevertheless a thrilling, gorgeous Syrah that does everything right. Coming from a vineyard located in the Rocks region of the Walla Walla Valley, its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by awesome notes of blackcurrants, salted meat, lavender, ground pepper, violets, and a marine-like salinity and minerality that develops with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, it stays light, elegant, and weightless, with flawless balance. This beautiful Syrah can be enjoyed today or cellared for over a decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With an expressive nose, the 2017 Syrah SJR Vineyard has a generous and clean core of black and dark red fruit—black cherry, blackberry liqueur and black peppercorn with dusty violets. The wine is full-bodied and has deep concentration on the palate, revealing elegant oak tones that merge into soft spice notes and structured tannins. The finish is long and complex, showing a wine that is concentrated and mineral-driven, showing just a touch spicier than the previous vintage. Range: 93-95
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.