Harvest
100% Syrah, 50% Minnick Hills vineyard, block 4, clone 7. 50% Patina vineyard. 25% new French oak, aged for 22 months. 25% whole cluster.
Bottling
A blend from two of our favorite vineyards, this Syrah is filled with aromas of dark fruits, sawdust, and a touch of black pepper on the nose. The palate is dominated by blackberry, dark cherry, plum, and mouthwatering acidity. This rich and intense mix is dashed with chocolate and soft tannins on the finish. Delicious now, this will continue to drink well over the next decade plus. Drink now through 2037.
Winemaking
The fruit for this wine is from two vineyards, one in the northeastern portion of the Walla Walla Valley, near the Walla Walla airport, in Palouse loess soils, and the other towards the southeast, in Walla Walla silt loam soils. We did not want the grapes to get overripe, so we picked them a bit early at the very beginning of October to mid-October. After the fruit was picked in the mid-morning, it was destemmed into fermenters with the addition of enzymes that increase color and aroma and a SO2 and ascorbic acid blend to control oxidation. One quarter of the fruit was foot stomped for whole cluster fermentation. After a day of soaking on the skins, we added D254 yeast and malolactic bacteria on day five to kickstart ML fermentation. The wine fermented for 10 days before being pressed. Secondary fermentation completed about two months later and SO2 was added to protect the wine from oxidation and microbiological spoilage. The wine was racked twice before being bottled on August 27th, 2019 after crossflow filtration. The wine saw 25% new French oak for 22 months.