Syrah's meaty, smokey flavors complement burgers, sausages, and lamb.
The wine's peppery boldness also pairs well with lamb's delicate, earthy flavors.
Only about hundred cases made of this wine. While it lasts!
VINEYARD
Barrett Vineyard grows 2 acres of Estate Syrah on property in Calistoga.
This robust varietal is typically used to add structure in fuller bodied blends. Their 2018 vintage was just so incredibly delicious they had to give it its own bottling. The last vintage of 100% Barrett Syrah was all the way back in 2007. This very special wine for a limited bottling.
WINEMAKER
Since 1988 Heidi Peterson Barrett has had an impressive client list of ultra-premium wineries to her name, over 2 dozen in total. Past winemaking clients include Screaming Eagle (14 years, 1992 and 1997 vintages garnered another set of perfect 100’s from Parker. And a 6-liter bottle of the '92 Screaming Eagle set a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine $500,000 at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction.)
Other projects include Dalla Valle (8 years), Jones Family (12 years), Grace Family (6 years), Vineyard 29 (6 years), David Arthur, Barbour Vineyards (15 years), Revana (10 years), Showket (12 years), Kenzo Estate (20 years), Paradigm (32 years), and Lamborn (25 years).
VINTAGE
The 2018 Napa Valley vintage belongs in an echelon with the finest of the past two decades. In terms of weather, "slow" and "easy" were consistent descriptors for this vintage.
APPELLATION: Calistoga AVA (Napa Valley)
VARIETAL: 100% Syrah from Barrett Vineyard, Calistoga AVA (Napa Valley)
HARVEST DATES: Sept 27, 2018
AGING: 100% French oak barrels 35% new for 22 months
BOTTLING DATE: June 23, 2020
RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2023
TA: 6.3 g/L
pH: 3.85
ALCOHOL: 14.8%
95 Points
Bright and vibrant on the nose with aromas of black cherry, blue berries and fresh violet flowers. Deep and dark, offering luscious balanced fruit, black tea and cloves on a medium to full body. Tannins are smooth, while the mouthwatering acidity keeps things moving.
95 Points
Aged in 50% new French oak, this wine opens up with aromas of red rose, black raspberry, and cherry cola notes that explode from the glass, with secondary components of sandalwood, cedary herb, and shaved chocolate. Black cherry flavors take center stage on the palate with notes of strawberry fruit, leather and sweet toasted baking spices on the finish.
95 Points
Cool-climate vineyard that keeps things light and layered in a bright and effusive nose. Blueberry, plum, huckleberries, black raspberries, spice, and toasted vanilla notes leap from the glass. Chewy and lush with impressive structure, finishing long with a dark fruit and a leathery note on the back palate.
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