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Wine Details
Price:
$47.00 per bottle
Description:
This vintage of the 2003 Syrah Hillside Reserve comes from a singular vineyard of Block 18 (also known as the Reserve Block). The vineyard is planted to 100% Syrah of the Durrell clone, made famous up in Sonoma County. Very little of it is planted in the Central Coast, and we are certainly proud to have our 6 acres of it.
This is the second vineyard that we planted on our estate, back in 1990. So the vines are an average of 12 years old for this release. It is characterized by a gentle to not-so gentle north-facing slope. At the peak, the vineyard is over 1500 feet in elevation, which makes it one of the highest vineyards around. The 360 degree views from the top are amazing.
The vineyard is characterized by a moderate microclimate, with very shallow and rocky soils. All of this combines to make a stunning vineyard with super-low yields (averaging about 1.5 tons per acre) of amazingly concentrated fruit.
This is a winegrowers dream vineyard, requiring very little input. It just seems to be the right variety and clone and rootstock in the right place. A wine-geek would say this wine expresses great terroir. I would say it just plain tastes good. We craft the Reserve to age for years to come, while having enough balance to enjoy right away. We will let you decide how to enjoy it.
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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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