World renowned. Washington grown.
Reserve
Horse Heaven Hills
Grand Estates
Two Vines
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2001 Reserve Syrah
Tasting Notes
“The wine is a deep purple color with aromatics of white pepper, rose petal, cocoa and raspberries. A perfect balance of subtle earth, coffee and chocolate are joined by raspberry-blueberry lushness on the palate. This Cote Rotie-style Syrah features a small amount of Viognier which contributes an interesting apple-pear character to the long, lingering finish.” - Ray Einberger, Winemaker
Growing Season
- Bud break occurred in mid-April, approximately one week later than a typical year.
- The vines thrived during excellent growing conditions in May and early June, and bloom occurred on time (mid-June).
- Above normal temperatures in July and August advanced ripening, and ideal temperatures in September and October (70s to 80s during the day; 40s to 50s during the night) allowed for excellent hang time and flavor maturity.
Vineyards
- Grapes for the Reserve Syrah program are harvested predominantly from vineyards located within the Yakima Valley (aromatics)–our oldest Syrah vineyard site, the Horse Heaven Hills (balance and complexity), and the Wahluke Slope (texture and body).
- Syrah has an affinity for the region’s warm daytime temperatures during summer months and cooler temperatures during the ripening season. Lower temperatures during ripening concentrate aromatics and enhance complexity.
- The region’s low rainfall stresses the vines and ultimately yields concentrated fruit with depth and variety expression.
Winemaking
- Grapes were destemmed and crushed with 20% whole berries remaining.
- Fermentation on the skins lasted five to seven days. Open top fermenters were used to develop complexity and stainless steel fermenters were used to develop aromatics and finish.
- Whole berry Viognier (2%) was added to each fermenter to further enhance aromatics.
- Twice daily pumpovers (stainless steel) or punch downs (open tops) extracted color, aromatics and flavors.
- The wines were blended and placed in a balance of new French and new American oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation commenced. The wine was racked by gravity flow at three month intervals during its 20 months in barrels.
Technical Data
- Total acidity: 0.58 g/100ml
- pH: 3.80
- Alcohol: 14.0%
- Blend: 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier