2023 Syrah
$40
100% Syrah | 24.6 cases produced
Red Willow Vineyard | Yakima Valley AVA | Columbia Valley, Washington
Imagine, if you will, dark berries, not merely fruit, but existential questions, bursting forth like miniature philosophical debates. Its rich, full body is less a wine characteristic, more a comforting blanket of “yes, the universe is vast and uncaring, but at least we have Syrah.” Aromas of dark plum mingle with hints of orange and blueberry, a sensory paradox that raises unsettling questions about whether or not fruit is merely a construct. Perfect for any food that requires a wine with the personality of a well-traveled raconteur.
Enjoy With
The Syrah, bless his complicated, full-bodied soul, was not built for quiet contemplation; he was a brooding, dark-berried brute in a velvet jacket, and his chosen travel companion was none other than the magnificent Smoked Brisket, a deeply flavored, asphalt-chewing philosopher radiating the profound wisdom of fat rendered slowly over hickory embers. They were the stars of a fever-dream cinematic caper we shall call "Tannins and Tar," where the open road was less a highway and more a swirling, sensory highway to heaven.
Syrah was piloting their battered ’78 pickup—a vehicle whose suspension seemed permanently drunk—propelling it forward with a momentum fueled by brambly fruit and peppered intrigue. He spoke in thick, plummy declarations, his sentences ending with a spicy finish that always left you wanting more. Brisket, lounging beside him like a saffron-tinged Buddha, offered a constant, savory counterpoint, his very presence a dense, smoky testament to the tactile reality of the present.
Their mission? Purely existential, of course—to find the perfect moment where silky tannins met glorious, charred smoke, a moment where all the universe's complexities could be solved with one glorious, balanced gulp. Every mile, Syrah’s violet and dark plum aromas would spin toward the philosophical, only for Brisket's profound earthiness to yank him back to the delicious, messy reality of the now.
750 ML,14.6% ABV
Copious Notes
This Syrah from Red Willow Vineyard was harvested on September 5th, followed by an eight-day primary fermentation period before being pressed on September 13th. It completed malolactic conversion (MLF) using the VP41 culture. The wine initially matured in neutral French oak, and then it received a light touch of newer Hungarian oak to ensure a balanced, non-dominant oak profile. The finished wine was bottled on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
The 2023 Eastern Washington wine harvest resulted in a smaller vintage but delivered exceptional quality. Despite a cool, wet spring that delayed growth and led to yields dropping by about 34%, the season was generally moderate and "stress-free." This resulted in balanced grapes with concentrated flavors and vibrant acidity. Ultimately, while there's less wine from 2023, growers and winemakers are very pleased and expect the vintage to produce excellent, complex wines.
This Syrah is an intense, dramatic story in a bottle—a pure, unapologetic expression of the grape.
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