Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Tons of spices, bacon, herbs and steak tartare, as well as black fruit and berries on the nose, with an underlying floral character. Full-bodied with gentle, silky tannins. Extremely concentrated and layered. The ripe fruit turns to savory notes of tobacco and leather. So sleek and elegant. Burnt rosemary at the finish. Fantastic. This is the real McCoy. It is tasting wonderful now, but will go the distance. Only 1,800 bottles made. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Powerful and robust with a complex nose, the 2019 Syrah opens to aromas of spiced blackberry and black raspberry before primary and secondary expressions blossom in the glass with elegance and precision; it then articulates layers of truffle, hints of tar and roses, turned earth and succulent red flowers with dusty, ripe red fruit essences. Medium to full-bodied, this Syrah is a masterclass in capturing a sense of place as it somersaults across the mid-palate with elegance, finesse and power. At the same time, flaunting its well-deserved triple-digit score, this devastatingly gorgeous Syrah glides effortlessly to a complex, ever-evolving and lingering tannic finish. This is world-class juice that shines with stunning purity. Run, don’t walk to grab any of the 1,800 bottles made.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Reminding me of a great Hermitage, the 2019 Syrah comes from two steep hillside vineyards planted on the north fork of the Walla Walla River, in Northeastern Oregon. Its deeper ruby/plum hue is followed by a powerful, meaty, yet incredibly complex nose of ripe, blackcurrants, gunpowder, bloody meat, and peppery herbs. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Syrah with a beautifully balanced, elegant mouthfeel, plenty of mid-palate depth and sweetness, ripe tannins, and flawless balance. It's beautifully done and a world class Syrah that warrants 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for 20+ years. Don't be afraid to give this plenty of air if drinking any time soon.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine comes from a new area of the valley, the Nork Fork, that this producer pioneered. Planted on steeply angled slopes, the aromas explode from the glass, with notes of crushed rock, stargazer lily, black pepper, charcuterie plate, black olive, firepit and medicine. The hyper-flavorful palate delivers on all that promise and more, with outrageous intensity and balance to the black olive brine flavors. There's sneaking tannic structure behind it all. The finish goes on for literally minutes. It's stunning—the wine of the vintage.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Sleek and exotic, with bold aromatic notes of bacon fat, blueberry, crushed stone and grilled anise that glide along the finish toward wild game accents.
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.