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Clos Mimi Bunny Slope Vineyard Syrah

Clos Mimi Bunny Slope Vineyard Syrah Wine Details
Price: $50.00 per bottle

Description: The 2001 Bunny Slope Vineyard was hand harvested 24 August at 25.1 degrees Brix, 4.10 pH, and 4.1 grams per liter tartaric acid (2.7 grams per liter sulfuric acid). Just a couple weeks before harvest started I fell in love with a newer two-acre hillside block surrounded by a deep ravine at Rabbit Ridge. Similar to the block harvested in 2000, this larger parcel was also planted 6' by 5' to the Estrella clone on 101-14Mg rootstock. Yields in 2001 were 5.7 pounds per vine or 4.1 tons per acre. The 2001 growing season was the warmest in Paso Robles since the 1997 vintage. Berry shrivel, tannin maturity, sugar accumulation, and an increase in pH of the grapes occurred earlier than all previous vintages of Clos Mimi. At the winery the grapes were completely destemmed into ½-ton macrobin fermentors. The must was sulphured immediately at 10 g/hL (e.g. 100 ppm SO2). The bins were treaded by foot exclusively during both the cold soak and fermentation. In accordance with nineteenth century French winemaking traditions, fermentation was performed by native yeasts without the addition of nutrients, tartaric acid, enzymes, or water. Once the individual fermentor reached 1.0 degrees brix the macrobin was sealed for extended maceration. After 37 days total maceration (e.g. two full moons after hand harvesting the grapes) the fermentors were gravity drained into a stainless steel tank. Likewise, barrels were gravity filled with this vin de goutte exclusively after 48 hours of settling. As in years past the press wine was sold off in bulk to minimize herbaceous and astringent tannins going to barrel. The 2001 Bunny Slope was aged in Seguin Moreau "Yquem" château traditional 225L barrels for 30 months (e.g. 44% new barrels). Three and four year old "Yquem" barrels were purchased from Dolce expressed for the 2001 Bunny Slope. Why switch to the "Yquem" barrel, one that is used extensively at Château d'Yquem in Sauternes? Extended élévage. As Marcel Guigal's La Landonne became more of a

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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