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Wine Details
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Description:
This is a very special vineyard and it is clearly my top Syrah in 2004. Vintage 2004 had a big heat wave which mostly affected early ripening varietals like Pinot Noir. Tom Krig the hands on vineyard owner of Alondra de los Prados always farms this one acre parcel to maximize flavors and this usually results in a rather small crop. We got caught and right at the end of the heat wave, not knowing if it was going to continue, we decided to pick. We did two picks. The first go through was to pick the perfect perky clusters – we got a little over a ton. The second pick were the grapes that were a little saggy and dehydrated we got a little over a ton. I kept the two picks separate and we lovingly named the first pick the Brittney Spears cuvee and the other the Margaret Thatcher cuvee. To a person, when I tasted visitors to the winery on the two cuvees, the Thatcher cuvee was preferred – intense sweet, ripe, and hedonistic. Of course I blended the Thatcher cuvee into the M5 but not before bottling a case of it. Hey, I’m a hedonist too. In fact the Brittney Spears cuvee has the body for the long haul and is by far the better wine but it needs the years I hope you’ll give it to mature. Additionally, this vineyard is co-planted to Viognier which I co-ferment with the Syrah. Of course, there is none of it available.
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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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