Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another release completely from the In The Rocks Vineyard, the 2020 Syrah Stonessence is all Syrah that spent 18 months in neutral puncheon/barrel. It's similarly plum/purple-hued and offers a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, pure style that's going to benefit from bottle age. Cassis, blackberries, spring flowers, crushed stone, and peppered meat are just some of its nuances, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a vibrant, focused, nicely structured mouthfeel and outstanding length. Its purity is top-notch, and this beautiful Syrah will evolve for two decades.
Rating:97+ -
James Suckling
Aromas of crushed blueberries and blackberries with dried violets, dark chocolate, ground pepper and crushed rocks. Medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins. Tightened and fleshy with a firm, dark-fruit finish. Mellow and delicious. Unfiltered and unfined.
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Wine Spectator
Shows aromas of black olive and crushed stone that open to appealing blueberry and raspberry flavors, accented by savory meat and cracked pepper. Ends with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.
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.