Wine: Rockblock: Syrah “Seven Hills”

Oregon

Oregon is a land of majestic mountains, undulating hillsides, fertile river valleys and spectacular seashores. The state straddles the temperate 45th North Latitude-as does the Burgundy region of France-offering conditions ideal for the production of world class grapes.

In Europe’s premium winegrowing regions, grape varieties are most valued when planted at the northern margin of suitability.
Oregon’s combination of northern latitude, occasional marine breezes and long hours of sunshine create warm summer days and a gently cooling autumn. Her noble grape varieties ripen gradually under moderate temperatures, leading to the production of memorable wines.  The slow progression to maturity allows the wine grapes to display their full character.

Rainfall in Oregon’s winegrowing areas occurs primarily in late fall and winter, with the Willamette Valley actually having less precipitation during the growing season than the Burgundy region of France. Southern Oregon will surprise many with its warmer climate varietals.

Unique growing conditions and favorable clay-loam soils have fostered Oregon’s rapid emergence as one of the world’s finest wine growing regions. Since Oregon’s wine renaissance in the 1960s, both the acreage of winegrapes and the renown of Oregon wines have grown meteorically.

Rockblock

The diversity of climates and growing regions in Oregon are perfectly suited to the expressive nature of Syrah. Our focus is to highlight Syrah’s ability to express the terroir found in the diverse growing regions of Oregon, through single vineyard
bottlings.
The 2001 release will consist of three single-vineyard bottlings from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Appellation in northeast Oregon and from the Del Rio and Carpenter Hill Vineyards in the Rogue Valley Appellation in southern Oregon.

Sourced entirely from Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley of eastern Oregon this wine offers dazzling aromas of milk chocolate, mulberry, black cherry, plum, cedar allspice and licorice. The palate displays briary blackberry, red currant, fresh tobacco, cedar, licorice and bittersweet chocolate flavors leading to a long, structured finish. The name Rockblock was chosen to reinforce the concept that the most profound expressions of Syrah are grown in areas where the soils are nutrient poor and often “rocky”.

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