| Winemaker's Notes
Our Syrah displays rich blackberry, cassis, espresso, mocha and our signature sage spice aromas and flavors. The silky finish lingers from the ripe tannins and smoky oak. This full-bodied wine should be enjoyed over the next ten years. A traditional pairing for this wine is a rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic. Grilled meats and bold cheese will also pair well.
After a dry, cold winter, the vines were a little slow waking up in the spring, about 4 weeks later than usual. Spring was very mild, but sunny. It finally started to warm up around the 4th of July and stayed nice through the end of September with the usual heat wave around Labor Day. Harvest came about 4 weeks late as well. We started and finished in October. Yields were light due to the cold start but the quality was exceptional.
After hand harvesting, the grapes were destemmed and placed into small open-top bins to cold-soak for 4 days and then to ferment, some with native yeast. During fermentation, the rising grape skins were punched down twice a day resulting in wine of intense color, rich flavors and fine tannins. This wine was aged for sixteen months in French oak barrels; 30% of them were new. |
