As I sat in the passenger seat of his rugged Jeep, we made our way into the heart of the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. One of the few people who have two separate vineyards in this hallowed sub-AVA, Richard Funk took us on a journey to see the varying terroir at his ‘The Funk Estate’ and ‘The Stones Speak’ vineyards. Richard is crazy about great terroir and you can see that in his wines across the board. A humble, down to earth guy, Richard founded Saviah back in 2000. From what began as 300 case production winery, production has steadily increased and the quality of the overall lineup continues to rise.
Richard and his wife, Anita, are both natives of Montana who moved to Walla Walla in 1991 and later planted their first vineyard in 2001. Saviah is a family name from Anita’s great-grandmother, a schoolteacher, artist and author, who settled in western Montana in the early 1900s.
Richard has a background in microbiology, and years ago worked as the Environmental Health Specialist with the Walla Walla County Health Department. He is a brilliant, self-taught winemaker. Richard has assisted several wineries with their start-up processes and served as the winemaker for Watermill Winery from 2006-2009, àMaurice winery from 2005-2006 and also has served as a consulting winemaker for several new wineries. He has crafted some gorgeous wines from the 2017 vintages.
He has a penchant for making some top class Rose an his new edition is made from Sangiovese grapes, the 2019 Saviah Rose (WWB, 91) which has bright acidity and downright juicy red fruits. Do not miss out on a stunning value, the 2017 Saviah ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Syrah (WWB, 93) which has amazing range and decadence. Even better is the 2017 Saviah ‘The Funk Estate’ Syrah (WWB, 95) which is one of the great Syrah wines that I have tasted so far this year. The terroir is insanely good, as is the soft, pillowy texture and wonderful rocky tones. Learn more about this outstanding winery at https://www.saviahcellars.com/ Here are the beautiful new wines by Saviah.
2019 Saviah Rose- Made from Barbera and Sangiovese grapes from the Dugger Creek Vineyard, the 2019 Saviah Rose is another gorgeous new bottling by Richard Funk. While the nose shows faint red fruits, the palate is juicy and ripe with mouth-watering acidity and gobs of minerals that greet you with the melon and red fruit tones. Delightful to savor in its youth, this awesome new Rose will cellar well for another five years. Drink 2020-2025- 91
2017 Saviah ‘GSM’ Red Wine- Sourced from the Yakima Valley, this is primarily Grenache with small portions Syrah and Mourvedre. Soft, round and generous, the palate unveils bright red fruits with smoky tones and citrus rind accents. The combination of tension, mouthfeel and weight is seriously good. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2017 Saviah ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from four different Walla Walla Valley Vineyards, the Saviah ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows nice sandalwood with graphite, mocha and tar aromatics that all take shape in the glass. The palate is plush, showing a downright delightful mouthfeel and soft texture. Layers of dark fruits mingle with tar, black licorice candy, and a light dusting of cocoa powder. This is seriously good stuff to savor in its youth, as the ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon will provide drinking enjoyment for a decade or more to come. Drink 2020-2032- 93
2017 Saviah ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Saviah is another masterpiece by the talented Richard Funk of Saviah. Sourced from the McClellan Estate and Annie Marie Vineyards, the Cabernet shows heady aromatics of dark currants that meld with dark chocolate shavings, tar and black licorice that all march in unison. The palate is dense and decadent with layers of blackberry compote, black licorice candy, creosote and suggestions of Turkish coffee. The long finish lingers as this massive, yet elegant wine has some incredible aging potential. Be sure to give this at least an hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2020-2038- 94
2015 Saviah ‘Hunt & Gather’ Red Wine- I can’t recall a Walla Walla Rocks District being made from equal parts Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Nonetheless, this is an awesome effort by superstar winemaker Richard Funk that has some beautiful aging potential. The nose is pure rocks with its vein of stony character that mingles with black cherry compote, sagebrush, Umami and suggestions of black tea. The palate is exceedingly elegant, as the rich mouthfeel gives off an err of decadence. Layers of dark fruits mingle with seaweed, Hoisin sauce, wild blackberry pie and wet stone accents. Truly one of a kind, the 2015 ‘Hunt & Gather’ Red Wine is absolutely gorgeous to enjoy now at the five year mark, and will provide drinking enjoyment for the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 94
2017 Saviah ‘The Funk Estate’ Syrah- The 2017 ‘The Funk Estate’ Syrah is a sensational follow up to the downright scintillating 2016 bottling by Richard Funk. The nose captivates the senses with Umami and seaweed character that meld with charcuterie, green olive tapenade and suggestions of blackberry cobbler. The palate is wonderfully textured with layers of huckleberry and blackberry compote that march with black tea, exotic spices, meat drippings and Umami. Soft, generous and showing outstanding length, this is simply a complete wine that has amazing elegance, texture and true Rocks terroir. This is truly remarkable in its youth, so why wait? Drink 2020-2028- 95