2015 Cristom Syrah Willamette Valley

Cristom began experimenting with Syrah in 2002, by grafting over plantings of Chardonnay on the lower slopes of our estate.  We carefully selected which vines to graft over, choosing a low-lying block on our hillside where heat accumulation is at its highest on the estate, giving our Syrah the best opportunity to ripen in a moderate maritime climate. 

Originally, 2.5 acres (1.01 hectares) of Chardonnay were grafted over to four clones of Syrah. The clones selected – 174, 383, 470, and 877 – were chosen primarily for their recognized heritage of producing small berries, encouraging our chances of ripening Syrah in the Willamette Valley. However, after cool growing seasons in 2007, 2008 and 2010, we made the decision to graft half of the estate Syrah over to Viognier in 2011. All that remains is 0.31 acres (0.125 hectares) of each of the four clones, totaling 1.24 acres (0.50 hectares) of estate Syrah.

We produce an extremely limited quantities of this wine, resulting in a bit of a cult following for it over the years.  The Cristom Estate Syrah wines are defined by spice, balance, perfume, texture and nuance, gaining complexity in the bottle for a decade or more.

Vintage Notes  In 2015, vines got off to a warm and dry start with the earliest budbreak (March!) ever recorded at our estate – a full 3 weeks earlier than our twenty-five-year average. Warmth continued through spring, leading to bloom beginning in most blocks at the end of May – also the earliest ever recorded at the estate. The warm, dry weather during flowering was prime for yielding a heavy fruit set, and the vineyard produced sizeable clusters with large berries. These ideal growing conditions created the rare combination of abundant quantity and exceptional quality fruit, producing intensely fragrant and energetic wines that show a blend of depth, concentration and nuance.