Syrah 2022
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater
Walla Walla, OR
Martin Woods

$49.99 6+ (code: 6saves5)
$54.99 reg

Nested within the Walla Walla Valley AVA, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater resides entirely on the Oregon side of the Valley. The Rocks District is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries have been fixed by virtue of a single soil series (Freewater Series) and a single land form (alluvial fan). We believe this to be one of the few locales in the world where the highly distinctive savory/umami attributes of Syrah can be found in spades, making for highly complex, perfumed and textured wines that remind us of the Northern Rhone. The photo above is a sample of the soils in this AVA. Please view this website: https://rocksdistrict.com/terroir for a highly educational illustration of this unique terroir. The proof is in the glass!

Our tasting note:  Med to deep ruby core. The nose is pronounced with spices (stems), olive tapenade, violets, bing cherry, red currant, and raspberry notes. The palate is med+ in body with a dense and fresh flavor intensity of the spices, olive tapenade, red fruits and florals. Long and pretty on the finish.  This is up there for best domestic Syrah I have tried in 2024.

AVA: the rocks district of milton-freewater
Vineyards: River Rock & RockBar
Elevation: 900-925 ft
Soil: Freewater (cobblestone and gravel intermixed with loess)
Planted: 2000-2016
Harvest: October 7, 2019 whole cluster: 50%
Elevage: sur lie 21 months in 228L & 400L neutral cooperage
Bottled: July 16, 2021, Unfined & Unfiltered,14.2% Alc.