This wine is unabashedly juicy and toasty, with soft tannin and mouth-filling fruit. Baking spices, blackberry pie... Yep, it's all there.
Prime drinking: now through 2022.
Food pairing: Seared meats and rich pasta dishes.
Winemaking
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours, and immediately subjected to rigorous hand sorting and refinement process. The whole berries were gently delivered to tank. Cold soaks lasted five to seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of delestage and pumpovers. Extended maceration ranging from three to four weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged 30 months in 100% French oak, 25% of which was new.
Analysis
Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Varietals: 100% Syrah
Aging: 30 Months in 100% French Oak, 25% New
pH: 3.73 | TA: 6.4 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%
95 Point Vintage
Opens with explosive aromatics of cassis, black plum, and sweet tobacco leaf, layered with warm baking spices (cinnamon and cardamom) and a light, complex ferrous mineral note. The Palate and mouthfeel is broad and sumptuous, bursting with flavors of juicy cherry pie, dark raspberry, and boysenberry compote.
The Finish carries a luxurious, savory presence showing undertones of leather, mocha, and milk chocolate, framed by supple, superfine tannins that melt into a long, polished finish.
