2020 The Scotsman
Early in our wine journey, we discovered Shiraz from Australia before we were introduced to Syrah from the Northern Rhone Valley of France. The Shiraz we first encountered was generous, ripe and generally aged in American Oak barrels, which contributed a pleasing vanilla component to the wine. Australia owes its modern-day wine industry, at least in part, to James Busby, a Scotsman, who first brough vines from Europe to the continent. Since Armstrong is a name with Scottish origins, we wanted to explore brining all this history and tradition together in an outstanding and unique Washington Syrah.
Dark purple in the glass, the nose delights with fresh floral notes of violet along with dark fruits and hints of black pepper, brioche and cocoa. On the palate, it’s fresh and lively but with density and a savory character matched by red fruits, herbs and baking spices. The wine resolves with a silky and persistent finish that almost belies the freshness on the palate. Perhaps the most elegant and age-worthy vintage of the Scotsman we’ve made. Lay it down for 2-5 years, or decant and enjoy with tapenade crostini, spareribs, lamb, or, simply, blue cheese and olives.
•Blend: 100% Syrah, Joseph Phelps Clone
•Vinification: 100% hand picked, cluster sorted, and destemmed –whole berry with no crushing; a mix of hand punch downs and gentle pump overs.
•Aged: 17 months in 42% new Americanoakand58% neutral barrels (225L)
•Racked only once prior to final blending
•Bottled unfined and unfiltered on March 9, 2022
| Download Wine Notes |
| Varietal | 100% Syrah, Joseph Phelps Clone |
| Appellation | Horse Heaven Hills |
| Vineyard | Discovery |
| Acid | 5.4 g/L |
| PH | 3.97 |
| Aging | Aged: 17 months in 42% new American oak and 58% neutral barrels (225L) |
| Fermentation | 100% hand picked, cluster sorted, and destemmed –whole berry with no crushing; a mix of hand punch downs and gentle pump overs. |
| Residual Sugar | 0 g/L |
| Alcohol | 13.90% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 300 |
This wine comes from Discovery Vineyard, located 90 miles West and slightly South of Walla Walla in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington State. The site sits just above the Columbia River – literally on a bluff that looks out over the river into eastern Oregon immediately to the South. Sitting at 550 feet above sea level, the generous southerly slope provides ideal air drainage and allows for optimal ripening.
The soils at Discovery are generally very shallow, with some sections of the vineyard having only 12-18 inches of wind-blown loess above the fractured basalt bedrock. Our block of Syrah was planted to the Joseph Phelps clone in 2005 by owners Milo and Kay May who, along with their son Oliver, still farm it today. At only 40 acres planted, it’s a special site that has rightfully developed an outstanding reputation for quality.
