Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Polished, vivid and expressive, this seductive mouthful of plum, blackberry, black olive and tar flavors finishes on a meaty note. Has depth and elegance.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Reynvaan 2009 Syrah In the Rocks – co-fermented with Viognier – smells of sandalwood, dried cherry, dried mushroom, sage, smoky black tea, and hints of game. I might have momentarily taken it for Chateauneuf. Dense and slightly chewy, this delivers the complexity adumbrated in the nose, and a hint of black pepper adds to the pungent persistence in its finish. While one could wish for a bit more sheer sap, energy, or mouthwatering savor in this richly complex Syrah, it remains an impressive accomplishment that should be worth following for, at minimum, another half dozen years.
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Tasting Panel
(includes 5% viognier): Good medium red. Sexy aromas of earth, smoked meat and brown spices, with a hint of white peach. Spicier and more expressive than The Unnamed, showing gamey, savory and floral qualities but also a higher pitch to the middle palate that suggests it will unfold dramatically with time in bottle. Youthfully tight today but long on the aftertaste. Lots of potential here. Incidentally, I rated the 2008 In the Rocks 91 points a year ago but this summer it was a solid 93; in fact, I found myself raising my scores by a point or two for all of the 2008 Reynvaan reds.
Rating: 92+
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.