Waters Syrah 2005
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The 2005 vintage is stellar! A "text book" growing season, followed by a long fall with warm days and cool nights produced wines with great acidity balanced with fine ripe tannins. Comprised primarily from the Yakima Valley's Minnick Vineyard, we also blended in lots from Les Collines and Forgotten Hills from the Walla Walla Valley.
Classic aromatics associated with old world Syrah shine through, including bright, juicy notes of blueberries, white pepper, cloves and a hint of forest brambles. On the palate, crisp acidity and moderate tannins are met with notes of rich leather, black cherry and smoked game. The liveliness of this Syrah would be a perfect match for the richness of caramelized root vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and good old American pot roast!
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a thoroughly delicious wine, pure-blooded Syrah from three vineyards. It puts bright, clean raspberry fruit right up front, then layers in a hint of bramble and earth against a foundation of firm, fine-grained tannins. It’s authoritative, substantial, straightforward and absolutely tongue-riveting, a brilliant combination of finesse, tension and balance.
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.