Regalis 2024

AVA: The Royal Slope

Vineyards: Stoneridge Vineyard

Varietal Percentages: 100% Syrah

Alcohol: 14.5%

Cases Produced: 55

 

Accolades: 92 points/Critic's Choice, Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report, 92 points, Jeremy Young, International Wine Report, Gold, Pacific Northwest Wine Competition

"Stoneridge Vineyard is one of the most distinctive sites in the broader Columbia Valley, with a persistent savory aspect. Here, the aromas offer brooding notes of brown stem, green pepper, fresh herb, and dark fruit. Full-bodied, ripe fruit flavors follow. There’s surprising freshness. A persistent finish caps it off. It’s compelling and comes in at a great price." -Sean Sullivan

 

"The 2024 Strata Varia Regalis Syrah, The Royal Slope is an unapologetically carnal wine. Iron, bacon fat and charcoal crowd the glass, and behind them sit Aleppo pepper, walnut oil and miso. Fruit is almost beside the point, though blackberry surfaces mid-palate, and the finish is smoky and long." -Jeremy Young

 

Production Notes:  1/3 of the fruit was destemmed into 2-ton, open-top stainless-steel fermenters. The remaining 2/3 was retained as whole clusters. The fruit was foot-tread with maximum berry breakage to minimize carbonic maceration. The must completed fermentation without inoculation. Punchdowns occurred twice per day with occasional pumpovers, as needed.  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 without fining or filtration. 

 

Winemaker’s Notes: The first Strata Varia vintage in 2023 was sourced exclusively from the Walla Walla Valley. However, in the winter of 2024, Eastern Washington was hit by a deep freeze which decimated much of the region’s 2024 crop. The Walla Walla Valley was hit particularly hard. This event forced many winemakers, myself included, to begin scouring the state for areas less impacted by the freeze. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to secure contracts with several exciting sites, most notably, Stoneridge Vineyard. As the site that produced Washington State’s first 100-point Syrah, the reputation of the vineyard preceded itself. 

 

Stoneridge Vineyard’s reputation is further confirmed by the 2024 Regalis Syrah. As winemakers, we are trained that a wine rarely tastes good immediately after completing fermentation. We instead rely on particular markers that indicate quality is to come following aging. However, this one tasted good during fermentation, really good after completing fermentation, really, really good during aging, and really, really, really good at bottling! Don’t expect a fruit-bomb of a Syrah, this one is an old-world savory-bomb! Meaty notes are present in every form one can imagine: bloody, rare, smoked, cured, charred, aged…The umami notes are further punctuated by aromas of red chili flakes, sesame oil, and tamari. I hope you enjoy this one because I sure do!       

 

-Brent Roberts, Winemaker