Winemaker Notes: 51% Syrah, 49% Grenache
"Aromatically, the wine is rich with mixed dark fruits balanced by a smoky earthiness and a compelling hint of anise. A brambly berry sweetness conjures olallieberry turnover, and there is just a trace of wintry clove hovering over it all. The wine is surprisingly light on its feet as it lands on the palate; the acidity positively dances across the tongue, and while there is a certain viscous weight that lays generously in the cheeks, the excitement’s percolation remains essentially centrally-focused from start to finish." (12/2012) Vintage notes: "A short, dry winter began the growing season ahead of schedule. The small crop set in May, and mild weather through summer brought a late September harvest. To moderate tannin extraction, the grapes were left to ferment as whole berries; juice was circulated over the cap twice daily. The wines quickly finished uninoculated malolactic, and were racked to air-dried american oak barrels. After blind tasting, we assembled three grenache lots from 1902, 1963, and 1991 plantings, and syrah from a parcel planted in 1999. Extended barrel age softened tannins. Limiting the number of one- and two-year-old barrels kept oak and fruit in balance. Accessible now, this fine wine will develop greater complexity with eight to ten years of bottle age." 14.5% abv