VINEYARD: The Syrah in our 2006 Port comes from Dragonsleaf Vineyard. Located just on the other side of
Sonoma Mountain (from us), this site benefits from warm temperatures common to the appellation and cool afternoon breezes that usher in the fog from the south. The Petite Sirah is grown on the sloping hillsides of the Merlot Vineyard in Dry Creek.

VINTAGE: The 2006 vintage was truly a year won in the vineyard. A record 10 day heat spike in July had growers nervous about sunburn on the ripening grapes. Then came the rains, which sent us rushing to leaf the vines, allowing sunshine and air to reach the clusters. But by late October we saw a change in the weather and a change in our expectations for the vintage. The rains stopped and the climate warmed, giving grapes the time on the vines needed to reach full maturation. Overall, it was a late harvest of excellent quality fruit.

WINEMAKING: This wine was fermented for ten days before being arrested by the addition brandy fortification. The wine was pressed to tank to settle for three days before being moved to barrels. It was barrel aged for ten months in older American oak. The wine was bottled in August 2007.