| Vintage: | 2009 |
| Appellation: | Sonoma Valley |
| Acid: | .68 |
| PH: | 3.65 |
| Alcohol %: | 14.1 |
| Tasting Notes: | This rich, supple and complex Syrah is full-bodied, with generous depth and length. Flavors are reminiscent of boysenberry jam, dark plum, toast, spicy oak and tobacco. Given the wine's tannic structure it should be at its best over the next two to four years. Pair with savory foods, including quail or roasted rabbit. |
| Vineyard Notes: | As seems to be the pattern over the past few years, 2009 was a year of extremes. This vintage also marks the third year in a row of below average rainfall. But a few things define this harvest in particular. First, rains in May took the edge off the drought and were responsible for the beautiful, full-strength photosynthetic canopies we had going into harvest. Second, was the roller coaster weather throughout the summer. We had 10-12 days of cool weather followed by 2-3 days of very warm weather. The heat wasn’t high enough and didn’t last long enough to damage anything, but it gave the grapes a good push towards ripening. Consistently, the cool weather returned and we were back to slow, even ripening. This back and forth seemed to have worked out well for the vintage. Third, flavor development was further ahead in 2009. The heat bumps have brought up the flavors and the cool weather has kept the structure and acid intact. |
| Production Notes: | Grapes from separate blocks were harvested and fermented in small closed-top fermenters. The lots were cold-soaked for five days and left on the skins for 16 days. The lots were aged in French oak for 18 months and bottled in March 2010. |
This rich, supple and complex Syrah is full-bodied, with generous depth and length. Flavors are reminiscent of boysenberry jam, dark plum, toast, spicy oak and tobacco. Given the wine's tannic structure it should be at its best over the next two to four years. Pair with savory foods, including quail or roasted rabbit.
As seems to be the pattern over the past few years, 2009 was a year of extremes. This vintage also marks the third year in a row of below average rainfall. But a few things define this harvest in particular. First, rains in May took the edge off the drought and were responsible for the beautiful, full-strength photosynthetic canopies we had going into harvest. Second, was the roller coaster weather throughout the summer. We had 10-12 days of cool weather followed by 2-3 days of very warm weather. The heat wasn’t high enough and didn’t last long enough to damage anything, but it gave the grapes a good push towards ripening. Consistently, the cool weather returned and we were back to slow, even ripening. This back and forth seemed to have worked out well for the vintage. Third, flavor development was further ahead in 2009. The heat bumps have brought up the flavors and the cool weather has kept the structure and acid intact.
Grapes from separate blocks were harvested and fermented in small closed-top fermenters. The lots were cold-soaked for five days and left on the skins for 16 days. The lots were aged in French oak for 18 months and bottled in March 2010.
This wine was made with certified organically grown grapes.
