Winemaker Notes
Sourced entirely from their In the Rocks vineyard. Native yeast fermentation. Raised in 1/3 new and 2/3 neutral French Oak for 18 months, both 600 liter puncheons and barriques, it represents Reynvaan’s most mineral- driven wine. Bottled unfined & unfiltered. 10 additional months ageing in bottle before release. The Stonessence showcases the traditional Old World Syrah characteristics of stones, game, pepper, and raspberry. Think old-school, classic Cornas by way of Walla Walla.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Syrah Estate Stonessence (100% Syrah) is similarly purple-colored and has a gamier, more exotic profile. Plums, blackberries, blueberries, cured meats, ground pepper, and iron notes all flow to a powerful, medium to full-bodied Syrah that has a singular, layered character. It shows the more elegant, seamless style of the vintage and is a beautiful, beautiful wine. Bravo!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Syrah Stonessence opens with a clean core of black fruit with an earthy note of forest floor, sweet tobacco and black pepper. The wine was slightly reductive at first but woke up with some rigorous swirling. There are softened leather notes on the full-bodied palate, along with chewy black fruit and firm, youthful tannins that show precision and balance. The finish is long and contemplative, with a soft mineral edge. 357 cases produced. Wow, I'm impressed, and I can't wait to get some of this into my cellar! Rating: 94+
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of funk, earth, black pepper and ember lead to sultry, seamless fruit and savory flavors. A lingering finish caps it off.
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.