Nose
Elegant smoky tones lead to notes of currant, dried herbs
and hints of pepper.
Palate
The supple texture is complemented
by flavors of cedar and dark fruits.
Growing Conditions
The 2016 vintage experienced the best of both worlds with
a hot spring and early summer. A cooler than normal end of
the ripening season allowed the wines to have ripeness, yet
maintain freshness and elegance. The early dry and warm spring, combined with cooler
temperatures in August and September, slowed down
ripening and resulted in the longest harvest on record in
Washington State (August 15-November 15). Overall, 2016 saw very favorable growing conditions,
producing wines with nicely resolved tannins and maturity. Fruit for the Grand Estates Syrah was harvested from premier
vineyard sites throughout the Columbia Valley including the
Wahluke Slope and Horse Heaven Hills.
Winemaking
Grapes were destemmed, crushed and then co-fermented
on the skins with small amounts of Viognier grapes for 6-10
days. A twice-daily pumpover regime gently extracted color,
aromas and flavors.
Aging
The wine aged for approximately 11 months in 90% Older
and 10% New oak barrels, both French and American.
