Syncline Winery : Our Wines
Roussanne Columbia Valley
Production: About 125 cases
Tasting Notes
Clear pale straw color. This wine shows classic Roussanne aromatics of almonds, pear and exotic teas. Flavors lead with pears and peach stone, followed by chamomile flowers, almonds and mangos finishing with a rich mouth feel and a fine persistent finish. This is an extremely beguiling wine that unfolds over time. Truly a classic representation of this red wine drinkers white wine. Drink now or over the next ten years.
Harvest Notes
Appellation: Horse Heaven Hills
Harvest Dates: Late September early October
Varietals: 100% Roussanne
Vineyard: 20% McKinley Springs Vineyard 80% Alder Ridge Vineyard
Vineyards
Alder Ridge Vineyard is one of Washington’s premier vineyard sites. Located in the Horse Heaven Hills right on the banks of the Columbia River, the two acre Roussanne block is planted on one of the best spots in the vineyard. With a direct southern aspect, this block receives long hours of sunlight with evenings cooled by the river. Soils are wind blown loess and caliche on top of basalt. Plant material is the Tablas Creek clone.
McKinley Springs Vineyard is one of the first vineyards in Washington State to begin harvest. Roussanne typically ripens in early September. Planted at 1100 feet in elevation on Warden sandy silt loam soils with north south row orientation. Canopy is trained Vertical Shoot Positioning with the west side left to “flop” to protect the grapes from the hot afternoon sun. Shoot thinning and green thinning occur to ensure an even concentrated crop. Perhaps it is the elevation, or the soils, but this vineyard gives us some of the best balanced fruit we work with.
Fermentation and Aging
The fruit is hand harvested into 30 pound harvest boxes and transported to the winery in the early morning. All fruit is whole cluster pressed with press fractions kept separate. Settled overnight without the use of sulfites and then racked to older French oak barrels. Inoculated in barrel, fermentation completes in mid November. Occasional lees stirring and no malolactic fermentation contribute richness while maintaining acidity. Blended and sterile bottled in June.