This decade-old, high-elevation site in the acclaimed SeVein development south of Milton-Freewater, Ore., largely is known throughout the Northwest for its work with Cabernet Sauvignon. However, Willamette Valley winemaker David Specter continues to showcase its delicious suitability for Syrah. The French horn player pays tribute to Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite within the name, and Specter describes the bottling as “a Syrah for Pinot Noir lovers.” Indeed, it’s a cool-climate expression of Syrah that features a wide range of blue fruit tones. The nose opens with a rub of lavender, then black cherry, elderberry and President plum as well as sandy minerality and cedar. Plums lead the other fruit on the entry to the palate, which is juicy and a bit hedonistic before a nibble of blueberry skins in the finish. The 2019 Firebird is one of two Bells Up wines to be featured July 31 at Magic in the Mountains, a consumer event at the acclaimed Allison Inn in Newberg that gathers more than 20 Chehalem Mountains wineries.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 114 cases
Alcohol: 14.4%
Leave a Reply