2009 Syrah, El Dorado County 750ml

A classic, juicy Syrah in our lineup that is perhaps only now beginning to reveal its rich nature. Layers of violet, tea leaves, and meaty smoke frame a core with tobacco, black raspberry, and earth. Some tar, resin, and black olive juice add interest to the fruit core of this wine.  Enjoy this complex Syrah with savory dishes like Moroccan-spiced Lamb, Beef stir-fry or vegetable ratatouille in order to enhance the spicy notes of both the wine and food.

Vintage 2009: 2009 was a textbook California growing year in the Foothills. A long, warm season without heat spikes, and a low-normal yield produced evenly ripe, concentrated fruit. Syrah grapes were all harvested in September, which is normal for our area, and had dense, complex flavors at moderate sugar levels. The resulting wines show great depth and intensity, but not at the expense of proper varietal character.

2010 Syrah, El Dorado County 750ml

An exciting and unique blend of California fruit with Old-World earth and spice notes. High-toned notes of raspberry give way to an herbal base of cola and anise aromas. Clove and cinnamon mix with darker red fruits in the mouth. A finely-textured finish lingers, with seamless integration of flavor and mouthfeel. Bring the unique flavors of this wine to the foreground with earthy spices like clove, turmeric and cinnamon. Rub a whole chicken with butter and turmeric before roasting, or add these spices to a chili for a rich and harmonious meal.

Vintage 2010: 2010 was a relatively cool year with a later range of harvest dates for our Syrah. We have two large Syrah parcels on the Estate, but we pick in small lots of about 1-2 tons for two reasons: different areas of each parcel ripen at different rates due to their altitude and drainage, and, just as important, we feel that the more “ingredients” we have for the Syrah, the more complex and layered it will be. In 2010 we harvested 6 times for this wine, ranging from 9/17 to 10/10. A heat spike in late August brought accelerated ripening, but additional challenges of some sunburned fruit that was removed. The resulting wines are bright, with some very ripe fruit notes alongside the earthiness typical of the cool year overall.

2011 Syrah, El Dorado County 750ml

Heady aromas redolent of crème de cassis weave around a spicy mix of freshly-ground clove, black pepper, and subtle notes of oak and vanilla. Racy and vibrant through the mouth, blackcurrant fruit flavors bounce off of bright acidity, finishing with silky tannin and great purity. This wine required patience and had a longer barrel-aging time after a longer growing season; it has rewarded the wait.
The Levee, a local Cajun restaurant, served a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo at the 2011 Syrah release party, and it was incredible. The wine’s spicy complexity goes head to head with each individual flavor, and the mid-weight mouthfeel and overall savory flavors are a perfect match.

Vintage 2011: 2011 was a notoriously challenging year: cool, rainy weather extended well into June and returned again long before most grapes had the chance to properly ripen. Difficult decisions were made daily regarding timing of harvest, crop yield, and anticipated flavor pro-file of the fruit. Every challenge provided an opportunity, however, and due to our naturally low yields and well-drained, steep slopes, we were able to harvest uniformly-ripe, healthy fruit at low sugar levels. Patience was key, as harvest did not even really start until after the average ending date on our Estate. The last grapes, from the high-altitude Fenaughty vineyard, were picked on Halloween. This extended hang-time contributed unique complexity to almost every wine made in 2011, and is a great complement to the naturally high levels of acidity.