Winemaker Notes
This vineyard includes three acres of Syrah and 1/3 acre of Viognier, and follows the contour of what was once the Walla Walla River. There are 3,555 vines per acre, planted one vine per stake.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is one of those delightful wines where elevated acidity matches the brawniness of the tannins. Black- and blueberry fruit on the nose is joined by hints of fresh straw, fresh-cracked white pepper and peanut brittle. Sweet black cherry, quince paste, black tea and lardo flavors just keep building on the midpalate.
-
James Suckling
This has aromas of black fruit, brewed tea, bitter cocoa, cracked pepper and five spice. The inky depth to this is impressive. So deep and dark, with a medium to full body and polished, silky yet very present tannins. Seductive and brooding.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Similarly translucent purple-hued, the 2020 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard has a brilliant perfume of cassis, leafy herbs, ground pepper, and smoked meat, with some background iodine, lavender, and assorted Rocks funk all developing with time in the glass. The palate is terrific as well, with a dense, concentrated mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. This meaty, smoky, gamey, exotic Syrah will benefit from a few years of bottle age and evolve for 10-15 with ease.
-
Wine Spectator
A vibrant red that combines rich polish with a keen structure, offering huckleberry, garrigue and bacon fat accents that gather richness and tension toward fine-grained tannins.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Displaying a deep magenta core and an open-knit nose, the 2020 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard is earthy with spicy and savory tones that sway with black cherry skin and hot rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals a dense and chewy mouthfeel with spicy and umami essences before gliding to a fresh, lingering finish with a tannic edge and persistent mineral essences.
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.