2015 La Côte Rousse 750ml

Our 2015 La Côte Rousse Syrah combines grapes from 4 unique vineyard sites on Red Mountain, each planted to a different clonal selection of the Syrah grape. At Ciel du Cheval vineyard, Jim Holmes farms 3 of these blocks to 3 different French clones-  383, 174, and 99. Upslope, at Ranch at the End of the Road Vineyard, Scott Williams farms the Tablas Creek clone of Syrah. Each of these unique blocks contributes to differences in weight, texture, and flavor at the blending table.

The 2015 growing season started early in Washington State, even earlier than 2014. This lead continued through the growing season, bringing flowering, veraison (50% color in red grapes), and eventually harvest a few days earlier than in 2014. While 2014 got warm and stayed that way for nearly the entirety of the season, 2015 experienced a wider range of temperatures. Temperatures during the season regularly rose out of the mid-’80s, slowing climbing toward the high 90’s over 1-2 weeks, then cooled. The result is less overall tannin and a softer texture in the 2015 La Cote Rousse.

This year, the final blend of La Côte Rousse included barrels from all 4 blocks of Red Mountain Syrah. Clone 383 brings the softest texture, and most perfume to the blend. Delicate notes of lavender and iron are its hallmark. Clone 99 is the most concentrated and structured. Here the fruits lean toward blackberry and raspberry, where both tannin and acid are abundant...Clone 174 expresses the ripest character of the French clones, combining boysenberry, and pomegranate. At Ranch at the end of the Road, the early ripening Tablas Creek clone provides blueberry fruit and smoky meatiness.