Vintage
2023
SNIFF
Wood shavings, roasted coffee bean, and tobacco leaf, with a cheeky little wink of anise and violet petal the deeper you go. Savory, earthy, and quietly complex.
TASTE
Stone fruit and a snaps of wild strawberry
PAIR
Grilled veggies, roasted chicken or a pile of crispy smashed potatoes straight out of the pan. Or it’s just as good all on its own under the stars on a camping trip or on the back porch during golden hour.
Down in the southeastern corner of the Walla Walla Valley AVA sits one of the most unusual winegrowing neighborhoods in America: The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA. This is also where our Rocks Estate vineyards live. At first glance it looks less like a vineyard and more like a dried up riverbed between the vines. The ground is blanketed in baseball-sized basalt cobblestones 50–200 feet deep, carried here by the raging waters of the ancient Missoula Floods as they rushed through the Columbia Basin, tumbling them into the smooth, round stones you see today. There’s very little topsoil, so the vines have to dig deep for water and nutrients, naturally concentrating flavor in the fruit. The dark basalt rocks soak up heat during the day and release it slowly at night, creating a warm little microclimate that helps grapes ripen fully.
The result is a terroir so distinctive it practically announces itself in the glass and is known for producing wines known for their savory, earthy edge. It’s one of those rare places where the geology is so powerful that seasoned tasters can often spot a “Rocks wine” blind. Bold, textured, and unmistakably of this place.
