Winemaker Notes
Opens with decadent aromas of ripe cherries and plums, with undertones of vanilla and black tea. On the palate, avors of juicy strawberries, dark berries, and spiced vanilla with a full-bodied prole and rened structure. The 2021 GSM is beautifully rich yet balanced.
Blend: 40% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre, 27% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 GSM entices with a sweetly floral blend of violet pastille and lavender flowers, giving way to crushed blackberries and spice. It's cool-toned and energetic, with a polished wave of ripe red and blue fruits that flows across textures of pure silk. A subtle tannic bite adds contrast through the close as this finishes with a pleasantly bitter tinge of spice and tart wild berries. It's a total pleasure to taste. The GSM is a blend of 40% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre and 27% Grenache.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Red Wine (BDX) comes from the team at Mark Ryan and is based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot that was raised in 28% new oak. It has a charming, upfront, beautifully fruited profile as well as ample red and darker currants, spicy herbs, leather, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors. It's balanced, medium to full-bodied, and undeniably delicious.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.