Nose
Classic aromas of blackberry liqueur, camphor, pain grille, and subtle notions of Provencal herbs and pepper
Palate
A wine of great density and explosive fruit, yet also has a sense of elegance and balance that is rare among wines of such concentration.
Full-bodied, with tremendous richness, great balance, and sweet tannin
Growing Conditions
For those unfamiliar with the Bone Rock Syrah, the majority of
the fruit comes from the Bone Rock Block at our James Berry
Vineyard. The vineyard is located within the Templeton Gap, a
low point in the Santa Lucia Mountains that allows the cool
maritime breezes to moderate the temperatures. The Bone
Rock block is a steep hillside that in 1990 we used
jackhammers to carve out a four acre, stepped terrace vineyard
in the almost solid calcareous soil, unearthing fossilized whale
bones in the process.
There are three main factors that make the Templeton Gap such
a unique growing region. The deeply fractured shale limits the
growth of the vines, and in turn produces miniscule amounts of
extremely concentrated wine. The huge diurnal fluctuations
coupled with the extremely high calcium content of the soils
allow the fruit to retain its natural acidity, even when picked at
full physiological ripeness. What you end up with is a wine that
wears its weight well, remaining balanced despite its huge
concentration.
Winemaking
Our wines are never racked off their lees and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Appearance
An inky/purple color.
