Soléna 2010 Syrah, Del Rio, Rogue Valley

What happens when an entire valley “goes rogue?” In the case of Oregon’s Rogue Valley, the result is pretty impressive red wine.

Going Rogue

Oregon is a fountain of fantastic wine. Most of the wineries are located in the valley of the Willamette River. This area is cooler than many US vineyards and is well suited for cool climate grapes like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

Further south in the state, closer to the border with California, it is a different story. The Rogue Valley is a warmer region, protected from cooling ocean breezes. It’s ideal for ripening red grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

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When we moved from Ohio to our new home in North Carolina, it disrupted the record keeping system for my wine. It was all loaded into Cellar Tracker, but the numbering system was outmoded when I had to switch to a couple of wine coolers in our new home. In the process of re-entering and reorganizing our wine, I came across the 2010 Soléna Syrah from sunny Rogue Valley! The corkscrew came out quickly after that…

Soléna – A Standout Winery

Soléna is a winery that we know best from their lineup of superb single vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. It is owned by husband and wife team Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu. They bottled their first wine in 2002.

They also produce Chardonnay and Pinot Gris and also source grapes from select vineyards in other Oregon locations and Washington State as well. That’s the case with the Del Rio Vineyard Syrah from Rogue Valley.

Del Rio Vineyards lies 15 miles northwest of Medford, Oregon at historic Rock Point in the beautiful Rogue River Valley. The rocky slopes of the vineyard face south and drain well, providing an excellent site for producing premium wine grapes.

The wine underwent a cold maceration, keeping the skins in contact with the juice to draw out the beautiful color and flavors. It was aged 15 months in 20% new French oak.

This is a limited run wine, with only 70 cases produced. In the glass, this unfiltered and unfined wine is opaque. On the nose, there is a stew of earthy and savory aromas. On the palate the flavors are concentrated and evoke raisins, warm black cherry and cooked fruit. The finish is medium length.

Soléna reds run from $30 to $55 and their whites from $20 to $75. This is a quality winery with selections that will keep you coming back for more.