Smoke on the Water 2023

 

AVA: The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater

Vineyards: Freewater Rocks Vineyard

Varietal Percentages: 100% Syrah

Alcohol: 13.9%

 

Production Notes: Clusters were destemmed to 1.5 ton, open-top fermenters with complete berry breakage to prevent any carbonic maceration. The must was inoculated with RP15 wine yeast. Punchdowns occurred three times per day. Pressing occurred at dryness. After 1 week settling in tank, the wine was racked to 500 L neutral French oak puncheons. The wine rested, unracked, for 18 months prior to bottling.

 

Winemaker’s Notes: While our Against the Grain Syrah displays a more fruit-forward example of a Rocks Syrah, this one reveals the typicity of this remarkable AVA in its full glory! This wine is anything but shy as the aromas erupt from the glass upon first pour. The composite aroma of smokey/meaty/gamey notes, often referred to as “the Rocks Funk”, makes its presence known in a big way. With oxygen exposure, the wine’s fruity notes begin to emerge from the shadows. Expect notes of blackberry, dried blueberry, and fig. Texturally, this wine is a silky as they come, effectively simulating the feel of melted milk chocolate in the mouth. 

 

The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is increasingly recognized as one of the world’s premier Syrah growing regions. The aforementioned “Rocks Funk” is an aromatic marker so distinctive that is has the unique ability to immediately lock itself into your sensory vocabulary. For the uninitiated, one whiff and you’ll never forget it. For the initiated, one whiff, and you know exactly where the wine came from! 

-Brent Roberts, Winemaker