2016 The Walls Vineyards Syrah Concrete Mama
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Tasting notes
A Côte-Rôtie style blend of 95% Syrah co-fermented with 5% Viognier from the River Rock vineyard, the 2016 Syrah Concrete Mama hits the mark with a broad and beautiful nose of black pepper, juicy dark fruits and soft mineral essence. Full-bodied on the palate, with an intensely focused and dusty expression, the wine coats the mouth with flavors of mocha, a delicate smokiness and subtle jerky notes and shows a balanced and complex structure across the mid-palate. Flavors of blackberry juice, fresh cracked pepper and elegant red and purple flowers linger in the mouth on the clean and correct finish. This is a beautiful wine. Yum! 197 cases made.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
In the same mold, the 2016 Syrah Concrete Mama (there’s 5% Viognier) offers incredible purity, with the Rocks funk pushed all the way into the background by thrilling pure fruit. Smoked black fruits, ground pepper, forest floor, and subtle floral notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied Syrah that shines for its seamless texture and incredible elegance. Readers looking for the next superstar in Washington State need to check out these latest wines from winemaker Ali Mayfield. These wines all have singular characters yet they share a rare sense of purity and elegance paired with plenty of richness and depth. These are singular, beautiful wines I’d be thrilled to drink.
(made from a Tablas Creek clone planted in the same 2005 vineyard in The Rocks as the Grenache; aged in 62% new 600-liter barrels made by Boutes and Stockinger): Bright ruby-red. Sexy, slightly roasted aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, licorice and sweet oak convey lovely aromatic lift (no doubt partly due to the 5% co-fermented Viognier). At once juicy and densely packed, with its intense dark berry, dark chocolate and spice flavors showing excellent lift (the pH here is 3.8, vs. 3.9 for the Grenache). Finishes with very suave tannins and virtually no greenness.