2013 Rotie Cellars GSM Southern Blend Walla Walla 750 ml

The Secret to World-Class Rhônes? Rocks and Stones

Seven months ago, the May issue of Wine Spectator landed on our desk. Splashed across the cover and a TWELVE-page spread inside was a feature dedicated to Cayuse Vineyards’ cult winemaker Christophe Baron and his 62 acres of vineyards in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley AVA. “Perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir” was how the magazine described this rocky, magical pocket of the Pacific Northwest. We could almost hear the cellar doors closing and the allocations disappearing up and down Walla Walla Valley. The article blew the lid off what we had already suspected for years: that the region had become one of the most exciting appellations in the entire country, a premiere staging ground for Rhône varietals of world-class depth, purity, and concentration.

Luckily we’d gotten in early, quietly buying up cases from our favorite rising Walla Walla winemakers, like Rotie Cellars’ Sean Boyd. His 2013 GSM — rich, sultry, and voluptuous on the attack — is the classic expression of the area’s terroir. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate agreed, laying on a glowing 92-point review.

Baron, a Frenchman by birth, is largely credited with discovering the potential of the region back in the late 90s, when it was only populated by scraggly apple and cherry orchards. Zooming by on a nearby road, he noticed tell-tale chunky rocks lying on the surface of the soil. The only other place where he’d seen such stones? Châteauneuf-du-Pape, whose characteristic softball-sized galets roulés help to regulate temperature in the vines. The rivers that once carved through the valley centuries ago bequeathed to the land its cobbled soil. Factor in the surging winds from the Columbia River Gorge, resembling Southern France’s Mistral, you’ve got a dead ringer for Rhône. Some laughed at Baron’s plan to plant grapes in rocks. He had to put the vines in with a crowbar. Now he has 175 90+ wines from Robert Parker (including three perfect 100-point scores), a waiting list 12,000 names strong, and is laughing all the way to the bank.

A cadre of young, talented winemakers followed Baron to the Walla Walla Valley, which straddles the state line between Washington and Oregon and is home to some of the world’s toughest stone-strewn soil. The industry buzz around this Pacific Northwest range soon became deafening.

Much of the highest praise has been reserved for Sean Boyd of Washington’s Rotie Cellars. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate praises Sean’s “knockout wines” that “offer classic, fresh profiles that deliver brilliant levels of fruit and texture,” and scored several of Rotie’s wines at 95 and 94 points.

Husky, bearded, and booted, Boyd looks more the part of an oil wildcatter than a refined vigneron—that’s because he practically was one. A geologist by trade, he labored in the wilds of Alaska and Canada in oil and gas exploration, before realizing that his finely-tuned instincts for pay dirt and encyclopedic mineralogy knowledge could be put to another, better use: crafting the dense, rich, voluptuous Rhône blends that had become his life’s obsession.

“We believe we’ve found one of the best places on the globe for Rhône varietals,” he told us during our recent trip through Walla Walla. We were standing side by side in the iconic Rocks District. At our feet ran a tan, dusty strip of cobblestones — the residue of an ancient riverbed formed by the Walla Walla River that once flowed down from the Blue Mountains. Boyd flipped one of the rocks over with the toe of his boot. “This part of the region is tailor-made for growing Syrah, and with the big river right next door and the steep, rocky relief, you couldn’t ask for better conditions for Grenache and Mourvèdre.”

In 2013, the Indian summer in Washington was magnificent, featuring day after day of turquoise skies with high temperatures in the mid-80s. While the fruit set was larger than the norm, berries were small and sweet. Seeds were maturing quickly. Boyd’s vines performed spectacularly, granting his signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape-style blend a riveting muscularity, gorgeous polish, and mouthwatering concentration. The 2013 GSM in particular left our tongues wagging. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate saw what we saw, laying on 92 points and praising it as “supple and beautifully made.”

The 2013 Rotie Cellars GSM Southern Blend is 75% floral Grenache, 15% plump Syrah, and 10% wildly aromatic Mourvèdre. The deep purple color stains the glass. Complex aromas of black fruits, incense spice, black pepper and violets reveal themselves with air. The palate is ripe and juicy to the core, with a chewy and ample acid structure to tighten it up on the finish. Drinking beautifully right out of the gate. Enjoy now-2025.

92 points. $50 on release. Just $34.99 today for one of the most stunning expressions of the rugged Walla Walla terroir you’ll find this year, blending New World opulence and Old World elegance. Only 900 bottles are up for grabs — sorry in advance to those who get shut out.