If there ever was a wine that deserved a steak or burger, you just found it.
Syrah's meaty, smokey flavors complement burgers, sausages, and lamb. The wine's peppery boldness also pairs well with lamb's delicate, earthy flavors.
VINEYARD
The two unique blocks of Syrah planted side by side on the Caton Vineayrd offer distinct characteristics and harmonious balance when together. Block 1 is a 2.6 acre planting with North-South row direction. This block consistently offers bold fruit and complex flavor profile. Block 2 is a 3.9 acre site with East-West row direction. The block is warm with limited afternoon sun, so it produces a wine with the best of both worlds: fruit forwardness of a warm site and spice qualities of a cool site.
VINTAGE
The 2020 harvest started with excellent growing conditions in Sonoma Valley. Temperature rose consistently through Labor Day while September brought high temperature spikes accelerating the last weeks of harvest. It took a unpredictable turn mid-August with wildfires. Luckily, the early harvest allowed them time to pick the Caton Vineyard with smaller berries and more concentrated fruit.
Winemaker: Ty Caton
Appellation: Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Valley
Vineyard: Estate Grown, Caton Vineyard
Varietals: 100% Syrah
Cooperage: 15 Months, 50% New French Oak
Farming Practices: Certified Sustainable
Alcohol: 15.2%
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
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