Isenhower Cellars “Rouleur” Syrah
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Sourced from Olsen Ranch, Yakima Valley.
- The soils are Warden, Prosser, Starbuck, Burke, Shano, and Scooteny silt loams; shallow depth of soil above broken basalt
Variety: 100% Syrah (Phelps Clone)
Elaboration: Hand-harvested fruit was 67% destemmed and 33% of whole clusters were added back to the 1.5 ton open top fermenters. Fermented with NT116, RP15, and Tango yeasts. Punched down twice a day with 2 days of limited oxygen sparging. Peak fermentation of 30 C. Pressed at dryness after 9 days. 300 liter French Oak barrels, Tonnellerie de Mercurey, 33% new. Light long toast. Native malolactic fermentation finished in barrel. Not racked until bottling.
Tasting Notes: Aromas of dark red plums, dried lavender, roasted meat, brown sugar, fresh sage, and gravelly Syrah funkiness. The mouthfeel is rich and plush with intense dark fruit, toasted caramel sugar, dark red plums, roasted meat, and earth with integrated tannins. Enjoy through 2031.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Isenhower Cellars was founded in 1999 by Denise and Brett Isenhower and was the 18th winery in the Walla Walla area. The Isenhower’s, both Pharmacists, chose to leave their Colorado surroundings and corporate healthcare to follow Brett’s dream of winemaking and Denise’s dream of moving back to Washington, where they first met. Today, Denise is the General Manager and Brett is the Winemaker. For Brett, Walla Walla was an easy choice because of its beauty and the wide-open, entrepreneurial nature of the wine industry there. Isenhower Cellars is one of the few medium-sized Washington wineries that is 100% husband and wife owned and operated.
The Isenhower’s built their winery in 2002 and opened the Woodinville tasting room in 2009. They source their grapes from experienced, established growers ranging from Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Walla Walla, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Oregon to the Wahluke Slope. These high-elevation farms produce beautiful juice from old vines all the way to experimental clones.
Isenhower Cellars and their growers follow a minimalist philosophy and more natural winemaking process, including low pesticides, light intervention and sustainable farming methods to achieve depth of character, lightness of touch, and an array of fresh, interesting wines.