Red Willow Vineyard Chapel Block Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2034
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Red Willow Vineyard Chapel Block Syrah is steeped in the very history of Washington State viticulture. Red Willow Vineyard, located in the far western corner of the Yakima Valley, was the birthplace of Washington Syrah when grower Mike Sauer, inspired by Master of Wine David Lake, first planted the variety here in 1986. The Chapel Block itself is named after the iconic, hand-built stone chapel that stands atop a steep, rocky ridge overlooking the vines. This block's ancient, nutrient-poor soils and dramatic south-facing slopes force the vines to struggle, resulting in low yields of highly concentrated fruit. Owen Roe crafts this wine with minimal intervention, utilizing traditional fermentation and aging in French oak to preserve the vineyard's unique signature. The resulting Syrah is a masterclass in balance, marrying rich dark fruit with savory nuances of smoked meat, cracked black pepper, and a distinct stony minerality reminiscent of the Northern Rhone.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1999 by David and Angelica O'Reilly, Owen Roe is named in honor of the 17th-century Irish patriot Owen Roe O'Neill. Operating across the Pacific Northwest, the winery bridges Washington’s Yakima Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley, celebrating cool-climate microclimates, diverse volcanic and windblown loess soils, and dry, high-sunlight ripening conditions. Following a brief period under corporate ownership, the O'Reilly family repurchased the estate in 2024 to reassert their founding independent vision. The viticultural and cellar philosophy prioritizes rigorous low-yield vineyard management, hand harvesting, small-lot fermentations, and judicious use of French oak barrel aging to preserve varietal clarity and site-specific typicity. Sourcing from benchmark terroirs such as Red Willow and DuBrul, Owen Roe produces critically acclaimed single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay alongside value-driven cuvées under their Sharecropper’s and Corvidae labels, delivering structured, cellar-worthy expressions marked by vibrant acidity and deep concentration.
🍇 Grapes
Syrah