Nose
perfumed nose of fresh blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry fruit complemented by roasted earth and mocha tones.
Palate
On the palate, the wine is dense, juicy and mouthfilling, with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, currant and dark plum leading to a long, rich finish featuring a hint of sandalwood spice and bolstered by fine, supple tannins.
Growing Conditions
2012 was a near-ideal growing season in Napa Valley, with a warm, dry spring fostering early budbreak and trouble-free flowering and grape set. Consistently mild summer weather free of rain or unwelcome heat spikes allowed us to harvest our syrah grapes with an optimal balance of ripe, concentrated fruit flavors and lively acidity.
Winemaking
We harvest each of our syrah clones separately and ferment them in small open-top fermenters. Prior to fermentation, we cold soak the must for four to six days to maximize color extraction and soften tannins. During fermentation, we daily punch down the cap of skins at the top of the fermenting tanks to thoroughly macerate the skins and juice for optimal color and flavor, while closely monitoring tannin levels. Once fermentation completes, we drain the free-run juice by gravity and transfer the wines to French oak barrels (54% new in 2012). Our 2012 Syrah spent a total of 14 months aging in barrel prior to bottling in January, 2014.
Aging
14 months in 54% new French oak
