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Syrah

Syrah Wine Details
Price: $22.00 per bottle

Description: We are most fortunate to have had great Syrah to deal with from the first harvest in 1994. Once again the Syrah comes entirely from the Thompson Vineyard in Los Alamos. The south facing hillside location along with low tonnage produced grapes of excellent concentration, robust, dark crimson color, and equally rich flavors. We used our usual protocol for reds: cold soaked the fruit for 24 hours prior to an open top fermentation for 28 days, and employed “delestage”, a process that aerates the red grape juice must, which in turn, optimizes the aromatics, flavor and texture. The Syrah was put to barrel to age for 20 months, 25% new oak. The wine is intense with a generous fruit character suggesting blackberry, mulberry, and Oriental spices. Its rich, lush quality, smoky, berry bouquet is joined on the palate by a touch of to asty oak. This big, juicy wine is well matched with red meats and any hearty cuisine.

Varietal Definition
Syrah:
Syrah is the eight hundred pound gorilla of Rhone grapes! In the vineyard and the winery, Syrah is typically an easy grape to work with - healthy, early ripening, resistant to mildew and rot; suitable for winemaking in a variety of styles. The wines from Syrah are tannic without being harsh. The wines will have a taste and smell of dark blue fruit like blackberries and blackcurrant, with a strong spicy side where one can find freshly ground pepper and other spices. Syrah is famous for its part in the French blends, such as Côtes du Rhone and Châteauneuf du Pape.


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