2021 Blue Mountain Vineyard Syrah
Tasting notes
Aromas of briary herbs, eucalyptus, pepper and cardamon. Black fruit, espresso, charred meats, sandalwood, camphor and rosemary, and new leather on the palette. Full-bodied with a massive finish. This is a powerful wine and built for the long haul. If you have the patience, we strongly recommend aging this for at least a couple years prior to enjoying. If you can wait five years, you’ll be rewarded. Decant prior to enjoying.
One of the benefits of being an independent craft-focused winery is the freedom to make whatever wine we like, so long as we stay true to our core philosophy of reflecting a sense of place. One of three Syrahs released in the Fall of 2023, this wine is not your typical Elephant Seven wine. It uses a relatively high amount of new French Oak, roughly 75% new. Keep in mind, this is a very high-quality, tight-grain French Oak (Allier, Nevers and Troncais forests - three years aged) and the wine was aged for twenty-two months in barrel (plenty of time to integrate). Something about Blue Mountain Vineyard Syrah seemed to take well to new oak, as did the 2021 vintage (a very ripe and generous vintage). At the same time, the broader trend in winemaking seems to be under-ripe, ubiquitous wines in the name of high acidity and differentiation. But, the pendulum always swings, and I think we’ll find that new oak isn’t necessarily a bad thing when used properly. Or maybe, this is just a middle finger to unbridled hipster hysteria, I don’t know. Either way, this wine is mightily enjoyable.
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Appellation | Walla Walla Valley |
| Aging | 22 Months in French Oak, about 75% new |
| Alcohol | 14.30% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
Blue Mountain Vineyard is in the foothills of the Blue Mountains on the Eastern side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA and sits at 1,200 feet elevation. The vineyard uses Old English Southdown “Babydoll” Sheep to provide an environmentally friendly way of maintaining vineyard groundcover and soil fertility. The soil is silt loam (loess) with excellent drainage. Substantial airflow, ever-changing sun exposure, and moderate amounts of rain make this an ideal growing location.
