RED MOUNTAIN ESTATE SYRAH
The Force Majeure estate Syrah is cultivated in a combination of the 8 soil types that exist in our vineyard, with most of it being planted in very steep, very rocky locations, but some also planted in deeper, loamier soils. Fermentation takes place after cold soak in a combination of concrete and stainless steel vats, with some lots in the final blend seeing extended maceration and co-fermentation with Viognier also grown on our site. Élevage is carried out in a combination of new and used French oak barrels and puncheons for +/- 18 months, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The estate Syrah typically exhibits a broad spectrum of black, blue and red fruits, dried herbs and jasmine, fennel, smoked meats and crushed rock along with very fine tannins, great length, balance and complexity.
RED MOUNTAIN ESTATE PARVATA BLEND
Parvata means “mountain” in sanskrit, and is the name for our southern Rhône-inspired blend, grown mostly in the sandy, loamy soils of the lower section of our Red Mountain vineyard, which bring to the wine a good degree of finesse and high-toned aromatic notes, white pepper, dried herbs and grapefruit peel. Fermented after cold soak in concrete vats, it receives a gentle extraction before being barreled down to spend approximately 18 months in a small percentage of new French oak, utilizing both large format puncheons and barrels. The blend will change each year and will eventually be driven by Grenache as more of our plantings come into production. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
WALLA WALLA ESTATE SYRAH
“All Syrah that saw 30% stems and roughly 30% new barrels, the inky hued 2020 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Estate offers up a ripe, darker, almost blue-fruited profile revealing plenty of scorched earth, peppery herb, and violet aromatics, medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and some chalky minerality on the finish. It’s balanced, has good freshness, and outstanding length. While from the Rocks District of Walla Walla, it’s a much more clean, classic Syrah than you’d expect from this terroir.” – 93-96 points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
VINTAGES
RED MOUNTAIN ESTATE VIOGNIER
We grow a very small amount of Viognier on our Red Mountain vineyard, just below some of our Syrah blocks. Some of the Viognier is used for co-fermentation with Syrah and the rest is crafted into our estate Viognier, which is pressed and fermented in concrete and neutral French oak barrels. It is a full, rich and expressive wine without being oily or flabby, and retains beautifully balanced acidity with bright freshness and length. Aromatics of citrus, lychee, white flowers and spice are typical for this wine. Only members of the mailing list have access to the estate Viognier, as it is so limited in production that there is not enough to distribute.
RED MOUNTAIN ESTATE ÉPINETTE BLEND
Épinette is our Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to our home in Washington state. The wine itself is a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, proportions of which change depending on the vintage. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in lower areas of our vineyard with deep, well-drained soils, much less rocky than the soils of our Rhone varietals. Before bottling, this wine evolves for approximately 22 months in mostly new French oak, after a long maceration and fermentation in concrete and stainless steel vats. This wine, along with our Cabernet Sauvignon, should age exceptionally well.
RED MOUNTAIN ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Our estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful but elegant, full-bodied wine that is grown primarily along the southwest ridge of our vineyard, in soils that are deep and loamy but contain many small rocks of fractured basalt, concreted ash and even some granite from Missoula flood erratics. The vines produce small berries with bountiful flavor, concentration and intensity, but also a good degree of finesse, excellent structure and layers of complexity that will continue to develop during extended bottle aging for those who want to cellar and age their wines. This wine spends approximately 22 months in 95% new French oak after a long, warm fermentation and extended skin contact on certain lots. We are expanding our Cabernet Sauvignon plantings to add new dimensions to this already gorgeous and serious wine. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
WALLA WALLA ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Our Walla Walla Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant and balanced wine that is grown in the Walla Walla Valley, on the Oregon side of the state line. The soils are silt loam on top of basalt river cobblestones. These vines produce classic Bordeaux flavors, minerality and complexity, with great structure that will continue to develop during extended bottle aging for those who want to cellar and age their wines. This wine spends approximately 22 months in 75% new French oak after a long, warm fermentation and extended skin contact on certain lots. Free run. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
VINTAGES
2018 | 2019 | 2020
