A Todd Alexander Collaboration

James Suckling #32 Top 100 Wines of the USA 2025 97 pts

Centric – A Story of Place, Passion, and Partnership

In the southeastern corner of Washington State lies Walla Walla, a place that has become one of the world's great wine regions. Before 2004, however, the only thing I associated with Walla Walla was its famous sweet onions. Everything changed when I attended Hospice du Rhône in Paso Robles and was introduced to Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards. His wines were unlike anything I had ever experienced. Their aromas, textures, and flavors challenged everything I thought I knew about Syrah. More than simply great wines, they were profound expressions of place. I left that tasting inspired—and determined to understand what made this remarkable region so special.

What I soon discovered was the Rocks District of Walla Walla. Its ancient river stones, remarkably similar to those found in France's Châteauneuf-du-Pape, create one of the most distinctive vineyard landscapes in the world. As I returned to Walla Walla over the years, I immersed myself in the region, visiting vineyards, tasting with winemakers, and learning how each interpreted this extraordinary terroir through farming, fermentation, and élevage. Every visit deepened my appreciation for the region and strengthened my desire to someday craft a wine from these legendary stones.

That opportunity arrived in 2018. At what began as a casual pizza gathering, I met Mary and Steve Robertson and their daughter Brooke, the family behind SJR Vineyard. Their warmth was matched only by the quality of the fruit they farmed in the Rocks District. By the end of the evening, after sharing stories, wine, and more than a few slices of pizza, I knew I wanted to work with their vineyard. We agreed that I would purchase fruit for the 2020 vintage.

The final piece of the puzzle was finding the right partner to help bring the vision to life. For me, that could only be Todd Alexander. Todd's remarkable work at Force Majeure, WeatherEye, Holocene, The Walls, and other acclaimed wineries has established him as one of Washington's most respected winemakers. One email, one phone call, and one shared conversation about possibilities quickly evolved into a true collaboration. Together we crafted every decision with intention—from harvest timing and fermentation methods to whole-cluster inclusion, extraction, pressing, and barrel selection. Our goal was never to impose a style, but to allow SJR Vineyard to speak with clarity while combining our shared philosophies and decades of experience.

The wine spent 34 months aging in 100% new French oak, developing depth, complexity, and remarkable harmony while preserving the unmistakable signature of the Rocks District.

The name Centric reflects our shared belief that true craftsmanship begins with passion. Whether expressed through architecture, painting, music, or winemaking, every great work of art begins with a singular focus. This wine is our expression of that philosophy. Every decision—from farming the vineyard and determining the perfect harvest date to fermentation, élevage, and final blending—was centered on expressing the character of SJR Vineyard and the remarkable terroir of the Rocks District. Rather than allowing technique to define the wine, every technique was chosen to serve the wine.

The Art Deco-inspired label represents another lifelong passion of mine—timeless design rooted in elegance, precision, and balance. Like the architecture of the Art Deco movement, this wine is built on intention, structure, and harmony.

Centric is more than a wine. It is the culmination of years of curiosity, enduring relationships, and an unwavering belief that the world's greatest wines begin in extraordinary places.