Brittan Vineyards
Estate Syrah 2016
McMinville
Winemaker Robert Brittan developed a love for Rhône varieties during his first visit to the Northern Rhône Valley in the early 1980’s. Captivated by the cool climate Syrahs from Cornas and Côte-Rôtie and intrigued by the cool, windy climate in McMinnville, Robert was encouraged to explore how Syrah would express itself on his rugged, exposed hillside.
Vineyard
The Brittan Estate Vineyard lies just 12 miles southwest of McMinnville, tucked into the foothills of the Coast Range. The original 18 acres were planted in 2001, but due to the challenging nature of this site and limited topsoil, only eight acres survived. Since 2004 when Robert and Ellen purchased the vineyard, it has been an ongoing rehabilitation project, including the replanting of the Pinot Meunier blocks to Syrah in 2005. There are now two and a half acres of Syrah on site.
Winemaking
The aim at Brittan Vineyards is to remove the hand of the winemaker during wine production. With this, minimal fuss and movement are trademarks of Robert’s style, producing wines of varietal complexity and nuance. After whole cluster pressing, the must ferments in barrel. Elevage occurs over 15 months in 18% new French oak.
Vintage
2016 was the third vintage in a row in the Willamette Valley where flowering started earlier than normal, and the weather remained warm throughout the growing season. After a warm summer, the last ten days of the growing season gave us beautiful days in the low 70’s, making for an easy and unhurried harvest. The grapes exhibited ripe flavors, but with more restraint and elegance as we get better and better at handling warmer growing conditions.
Tasting Note
Cool climate Syrah is one of Robert’s passions and our 2016 vintage shows why. Ripe blue and black fruits, plum, cherry cordial, and a hint of vanilla mingle with smoked meat, violet petals, mint and clove. Impressively warm and rich on the nose, the palate turns toward Syrah’s cool climate qualities: nervy and taut with grippy tannins well supported by a backbone of bright acid.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Syrah
Appellation
McMinville
Farming
Practicing Organic
Alcohol
12.1%
Suggested Retail Price
$50
