Description
Our first release of what is meant to be a red field blend from our White Field vineyard, is actually not a field blend at all…
We started developing this 2-1/2 acre vineyard in 2011 and the first planting was in 2012, which also was the first of five drought years. Consequently this project has stalled but kept limping forth in small steps until we got our first mini-crop in 2016. The soil here is clay-loam topsoil (decomposed Serpentine and other granitic rock) on top of dense yellow clay of similar origin. This makes for an extremely infertile soil. The exposure is northeast and the microclimate is even cooler that our home vineyard, which borders it to the south.
In 2017, of the many red varieties planted in the White Field, the only one to produce any grapes was Syrah. The others gradually kicked in over the following three years- Trousseau, Mondeuse, Cinsault, Pinot Noir, and Counoise. So what we got here is a single varietal Syrah that, at least in my experience, tastes like no other California Syrah. Seriously, we are thrilled with the results!
This wine was 100% foot-stomped and fermented on its skins/stems, and pressed after 8 days of maceration. Barrel aged for about 14 months in a neutral oak barrel on its primary lees. Minimal amount of Sulfur dioxide added at bottling.
Alcohol: 12.9%