Lone Birch Syrah
WHY WE LOVE IT
- 100% Estate grown.
- Lone Birch Syrah showcases abundant fruit aromas, ripe flavors, balanced acidity, and gentle tannins.
- Sourced from Syrah blocks known for complex dark fruit aromas and jam-like flavors.
- Fermentation in the new oak added complexity and creaminess, while neutral oak showcased dark fruit elements.
- Enjoy now through 2034 with optimal maturity in 2029.
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Elaboration: Destemmed, sorted, cold-soaked for 48 hours, then warmed and inoculated for alcoholic fermentation. Fermented at peak temperatures of 90 degrees for optimal flavor extraction, the wine was aerated early and tapered off to maintain a soft, velvet-like palate. After fermenting dry on the skins for 13 days, the wine was pressed and sent to French Oak barrels for malolactic fermentation (15% new French oak, 30% 2-3-year-old oak, and 55% neutral oak). The wine’s natural lees were stirred twice a month for two months to enhance richness and softness. Aged for 11 months in French oak, it was then transferred to concrete tanks for an additional month of aging, adding lifted aromatics and complexity to the final product.
Tasting Notes: Lone Birch Syrah features aromatics of black cherries, sweet plums, and spicy black olives. The palate is rich and bountiful with ample dark fruit flavors interwoven with layers of baker’s chocolate, barbecued game, licorice, and a touch of white pepper. The finish is smooth and lush with velvety tannins and a perfect balance of lightly toasted oak and dark fruits.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
In the shadow of the Rattlesnake Mountains stands the 70-year-old Lone Birch Tree, providing shade to vineyard workers, a landmark to travelers, and inspiration to generations of descendants of Howard Miller, entrepreneur, successful realtor, and visionary. Miller, a nature lover and steward of the land in the Yakima Valley, planted the tree to inspire future generations to care for the environment, shrink the carbon footprint, make sustainability a goal of the farm, and provide a source of pride and living for generations of his family. In addition, his dedicated efforts led to the region’s wine growers’ ability to access high mountain water through the creation of the Roza Irrigation Canal.
Throughout the family’s connection to wine production, diversification of crops led Don Miller, Howard’s son, to implement the use of row crops as the family experimented with growing Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Following in Don’s footsteps, Mike founded the Airfield Estate Winery, now the home of Lone Birch Wines. Grown on over 1,100 acres with a wide palette of fruit, Lone Birch Wines, located in Sunnyside, Washington, prides itself on limited production, high quality, and good value for its patrons.