Winemaker Notes
This hauntingly aromatic Syrah draws you in with mesmerizing aromas of incense, fresh-tilled earth, forest floor and sweet pipe tobacco, with alluring undercurrents of rhubarb and macerated red berries. On the palate it is lush and impeccably structured, with a dramatic savory core wrapped in flavorful layers of red fruit, black tea, licorice, sandalwood and cracked peppercorns.
Production
A cold, dry winter was followed by an equally cool spring, which led to a slightly later-than-normal budbreak and bloom. Following mid-June rains that had a modest impact on the size of the crop, the weather turned hot in July and August, spurring the grapes to a long, sustained period of ripening. Our early ripening Syrah from The Rocks District offered beautiful flavor and color development, with polished tannins. With smaller overall yields, our Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon produced wines of tremendous concentration and power, with great ripeness and flavor development. To ensure the exceptional nature of all of our 2020 wines, we assessed all of our wines using both sensory and laboratory analysis to ensure that they were in no way affected by smoke from the Oregon wildfires.