Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Good depth and complexity here. This has aromas and flavors of dark plums and blackberries. The long, detailed and sturdy tannins deliver a modern, punchy style.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Slightly more expensive and made from 100% Syrah, the 2015 Syrah Estate Seven Hills Vineyard is deep purple-colored and boasts ripe black cherries, blueberries, peppery herbs, graphite, and crushed rocks. It's rich, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and has both tannin and acidity. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years as well.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard Estate exhibits aromas of ripe blackberries, mocha and licorice, followed by a supple, open-knit and expansive palate with a juicy core of fruit and a youthfully chewy finish. More lavish than the entry-level Columbia Valley Syrah, I'm not convinced it's as deep or concentrated, but it's a well-made, characterful red.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of raspberry jam, huckleberry and generous spice accents lead to full-bodied fruit flavors backed by soft tannins. It's a rich, ripe charmer.
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Wine Spectator
Trim and well-structured, with pinpoint currant, stony mineral and smoked spice flavors that lead to refined tannins. Drink now through 2022.
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.