2017 Diwa Syrah
93% Syrah co-fermented with 7% Viognier
A darker, more brooding version of Yellow Bird Syrah. A powerful nose of spice box, forest floor, and dried herbs follows into a voluptuous mid-palate that is loaded with blackberry compote, bramble, nutmeg and clove, and accented with tones of cool ash and camphor. Full-bodied with a long expressive finish.
A darker, more brooding version of Yellow Bird Syrah. A powerful nose of spice box, forest floor, and dried herbs follows into a voluptuous mid-palate that is loaded with blackberry compote, bramble, nutmeg and clove, and accented with tones of cool ash and camphor. Full-bodied with a long expressive finish.
The fruit was harvested and sorted by hand on September 28, 2017 at a paltry 2.6 tons per acre. A three-day cold soak was employed prior to primary fermentation. Approximately 75% of the fruit was left as whole-cluster. During fermentation only yeast hulls and oxygen were used to aid fermentation - no commercial yeast or chemicals. Primary fermentation lasted approximately fourteen days, while the wine stayed on skins for a total of thirty-two days, including an extended maceration. During fermentation, manual punch downs were performed thrice per day with a rack-and-return performed as necessary to aid fermentation. Secondary fermentation was also feral. The lees were stirred every few days, and ultimately, the wine was never racked and remained on lees. The wine was aged for twenty months in 75% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2018. No chemicals, enzymes, adjuncts or other nonsense has been added to this wine.
| Varietal Composition | 93% Syrah co-fermented with 7% Viognier |
| Appellation | Walla Walla Valley |
| Vineyard | Yellow Bird Vineyard |
| Acid | 5.5 g/L |
| PH | 3.8 |
| Alcohol | 14.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 70 |
High atop the foothills of the Blue Mountains sits Yellow Bird Vineyard. Owned by the Chan family and farmed by the venerable Kenny Hart, the vineyard is dry farmed and uses sustainable farming practices. Deep Loess soil with excellent drainage. The blocks we use sit at 1,400 feet in elevation. The high elevation and naturally struggling vines produce fruit with great depth and concentration. Both the clones have tiny berries and sparse clusters - ugly by a commercial producers standpoint but beautiful from ours. These tiny berries create wine with firm natural tannins and black-opaque color.
