Proper Wines began in 2005 when Colorado friends Conor McCluskey and David Houle purchased an eight acre cherry orchard in the Rocks District of Walla Walla Valley. Syrah vines replaced the cherries in 2007, and the first estate wine arrived in 2011. The project grew with additional partners and a clear focus on Rhône inspired Syrah shaped by the stony soils of the Rocks. Winemaker Sean Boyd has led production since the early vintages, working with native yeasts and minimal intervention to keep the vineyard at the center of the style. In 2018 the winery joined the Rotie Cellars family, continuing its commitment to site driven Washington Syrah.