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Wine Details
Price:
$55.00 per bottle
Description:
The Viking Estate Vineyard was planted in 1992 on a steep, south facing clay and calcareous hillside west of Paso Robles at an elevation of 1,700 feet. When working on a 30 to 40 degree slope, farming practices are tailored to the demands of the site. This steep, exposed calcareous hillside sees classic warm days and cool nights, producing fully ripe fruit that retains natural grape acidity. The terroir of the vineyard is very much responsible for the low yields and intensely flavored small berries that are the hallmark of Viking Vineyard Syrah. From a mere one and a half acre site on a rugged limestone outcropping, the Viking Syrah Vineyard represents the pinnacle of our terroir focused Reserve program. This is an opaque, intense, multi-faceted wine. "The color is phenomenal . . . syrah is a different crayon in the Crayola box", says winemaker Terry Culton. On the nose, the wine has profoundly complexing aromatics, with hints of game and rich dark fruit. This intense wine shows some elemental characteristics of classic northern Rhone syrah. The notes of wild game are classic syrah attributes, while the trace of chaparral is a hallmark characteristic distinctive to our extreme, isolated, mountain vineyard.
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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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