If there ever was a wine that deserved a steak or burger, you just found it.
Earlier vintages have scored 94 Points and sold out in a flash.
This is a most excellent red wine, and not much is available.
Winemaking
All work is done by hand: from leaf-pulling and green drop, to harvesting into half-ton bins. Once the growing season is over, the fruit is gently crushed into 2 ton open top fermenter with 30% whole cluster inclusion with a 5 day cold soak, where it underwent a slow, cool fermentation with 2-3 gentle punch downs per day. When fermentation is complete they pump the juice into French barrels, where they finish secondary fermentation and gently age for 18 months. As with many of their wines, they're inspired by the great wine-growing regions of France, where minimal manipulation allows the elegance of the terroir to be most fully expressed.
APPELLATION: Alexander Valley
VINEYARDS: Estate-Grown - Hillside Fruit
VARIETAL: 100% Syrah
AGING: Aged for 18 months in French Oak.
ALCOHOL: 14.5% by volume
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.