A deliciously savory and complex Syrah. This wine encapsulates this unique terroir that produces some of the most distinctive and compelling Syrah based wines in the new world. The Syrah grown on the intensely rocks soils here produce classic aromas of cured meat, smokey herbs, cracked pepper, dark berries, and graphite. Stony minerals are present throughout like some kind of liquid rock. This is really a wine that needs decanting and food to be fully appreciated. A gamey, savory expression with beautiful poise and elegance. 

The Rocks District can create wines of absolutely unparalleled character, stamped with hyper-masculine tones of deep earth, affrontive umami and objective POWER (see Horse Power winery & Cayuse), but then there's Martin Woods: a pedigreed Pinot producer from Oregon's famed Willamette valley, who takes his delicately minded pinot sensibilities and puts that frame up against the formidable terroir of The Rocks and its famed Syrah. Elegance and hedonism meet and hold hands in a way that I rarely see from The Rocks - Pungent, nearly salacious aromatics of lilac and violet liqueur happily and endlessly flirt with each other, wrapped together with beautiful touches of flame-torched madagascar vanilla bean. The palate is imposing, and very forward in the most positive manner - tightly layered black and blue fruit, like blueberries being slow-charred on a fireplace hearth, fresh picked plums being cauterized by white-hot steel, anchored by the mineral-spice of a well used branding iron. The "Rocks Umami" presents itself almost like the salty and sweet finish of a French onion soup (weird to say blueberries and then French onion, but it makes perfect sense when you taste it), ending on truly dazzling note that reminded me of Chicken Of The Woods mushrooms. If you've tried wine from The Rocks before, Martin Woods expression of this regions fruit will shift your view on the potential for elegance and true beauty, and if you haven't tried one yet, I really think Martin Woods might be the friendliest, and most rewarding, place to start!