A brand that has created one of the finest, most singular wines you can taste in the Pacific Northwest, Delmas was a vision of crafting world-class Syrah from the cobblestones of Milton-Freewater. It was more than a decade ago they founded the meticulously farmed SJR Vineyard. It is a thriving site that is a must see for anyone crazy about wines from this region. Sitting with Delmas founder Steve Robertson and new director of winemaking Brooke Robertson, they talked about the warm, 2021 vintage. “This vintage was a challenge” said Brooke. “It was extraordinarily hot and we had low yields. Every other shoot just didn’t produce a cluster so we had like one cluster a shoot and there was only 55 cases made because of that.”
Both Brooke and Steve were excited that their first pick of the harvest was scheduled for this Friday. They spoke with glee about the pending harvest “as we have the perfect storm with the weather” said Steve. Brooke as a new mother has been working hard to maintain her work/life balance. “Trying to find that balance between the fun that you want to have with her and the work that needs to be done can be difficult” she said.
Viognier was a bit of an enigma for the Robertsons when they first planted the varietal in their stony vineyard. However, over time Brooke described the farming techniques which have changed to their benefit. “We have been farming Viognier differently. We had to change that into a double guyot cane situation where we are getting more balance there. Viognier is such a dramatic variety and it is all over the place, sending shoots all over the place. It is weird but it works here in the vineyard and getting to the cane pruned system allows this to be more stable. That allows for the production of the clusters to be more prolific and in balance.” She continued “We can get to a regular level of production so we know that it is not a question any more. We know how many buds that we are setting and that also allows for a speediness of ripeness. Things ripen faster and we don’t have to water as much.”
Syrah was easier to cope with in 2021, other than “Yields being way down” said Brooke. “We had a warm Autumn which allowed the flavors to really develop nicely” she said. “We were able to pick a bit early and achieved rich flavors from this vintage.” Regarding the 2021 Syrah “We knew early in barrel that the Syrah was in a great place” Steve said.
The new wines from the 2021 vintage are outrageously good. They have crafted arguably the finest Delmas Syrah that I have ever tasted. The 2021 Delmas Syrah (OB, 97) is a complete stunner with a dizzying bouquet that yields an utterly sensational range of aromatics. This is a must-purchase for any lover of the Walla Walla Rocks District. Learn more at delmaswines.com and here are my reviews of the new 2021 Delmas future release wines.
2021 Delmas ‘SJR Vineyard’ Viognier- A standout white wine in this vintage, the 2021 Delmas ‘SJR Vineyard’ Viognier spent six hours on the skins and then was stored in puncheons with continuous battonage. This was bottled in December 2022. Right away a whiff of fresh honeysuckle vines brings you in, as white peach, passion fruit and shades of star jasmine all combine in this highly fragrant bouquet. The palate is rich, viscous and simply irresistible. Fat on the mouth, this takes on an unctuous texture. Showing glorious length and viscosity, this is fantastic stuff to savor at a slightly warmer temperature — so don’t serve too cold! Drink 2023-2036- 96
2021 Delmas ‘SJR Vineyard’ Syrah- The stunning 2021 Delmas ‘SJR Vineyard’ Syrah is another sensational effort from this famed outpost in the Walla Walla Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Coming from this site that is set on large cobblestones. Umami, green olive tapenade and Hoisin sauce as well as Asian spices mark the nose alongside boysenberry and tar notes. This shows a fantastic underlying finesse with a silky smooth mouthfeel and loads of depth, concentration and mouth-watering acidity. Finishing extremely long, this just might be the best Delmas Syrah ever made. Drink 2023-2032- 97