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Horse Heaven Hills
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2003 Reserve Syrah
Tasting Notes
“Crafted in a Cote Rotie-style, generous Syrah aromatics of white pepper, cocoa and blueberry are threaded with the Viognier’s subtle sweet orange peel, pear and rose petal. Hints of spice and earthy overtones, Horse Heaven Hills terroir hallmarks, are followed by intense flavors of cocoa, roasted coffee bean and dark chocolate. The blueberry-raspberry finish resonates seductively and evenly.” -Ray Einberger, Winemaker
Vintage
- Vintage 2003 began with a typical bud break in early April.
- Bloom followed in early June. Warm, dry weather conditions during this phase (the start of fruit maturation) contributed to the uniformity of berry maturation at end of season.
- High heat accumulation during late summer—the warmest of the decade—created excellent ripening conditions.
- Very modest precipitation in August and September cooled the vineyards and slowed down the ripening process.
- At harvest, vineyards across the Columbia Valley had excellent physiological maturity and flavor development across varietals.
Vineyards
- The Horse Heaven Hills appellation hosts two vineyard sites—one for Syrah and one for Viognier—that are the sole contributors to the Reserve Syrah program.
- Syrah has an affi nity 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 varietal expression.
Vinification
- Grapes were destemmed and crushed with 20% whole berries remaining.
- Syrah co-fermented with whole berry Viognier (2%), and fermentation occurred in open-top fermenters (fi ve days) with twice-daily pump overs or in stainless steel fermenters (seven days) with punch downs four times daily.
- Lots were blended and placed in a half new French and half new American oak barrels for malolactic fermentation.
- The wine was racked by gravity flow at three month intervals during its 20 months in barrels.
Technical Data
- Total acidity: 0.59 g/100ml
- pH: 3.84
- Alcohol: 14.1%
- Blend: 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier