Our 2007 Limited Selection Syrah is a tale of two estates, with 85% of the fruit coming from our cool-climate Evan's Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of western Santa Ynez Valley and 15% from our warmer Home Ranch in the eastern end of the valley. The Syrah grape flourishes both in cool and warm microclimates, but its character differs in each. In cooler climes, the grape expresses more of its floral, earthy, spicy and gamy dimensions while in warmer areas it displays its rich, jammy, fruit personality. The beauty of having Syrah in both our estate vineyards is that we can craft a wine revealing the full spectrum of Syrah's captivating personality. Throw in a fine vintage like 2007 and you have all the makings of a fascinating, delicious red wine.
The nose of the 2007 is redolent of red currant, toasted blueberry, wild cherry, black raspberry, blackberry and olallieberry fruit complemented by complex floral (violets and lavender), roasted earth, white pepper, sage and sweet vanilla scents. On the palate, the wine is rich, ripe and savory with concentrated black fruit flavors, a firm, but supple structure, bright acidity, perfectly integrated oak tones and a long, fruitful finish boasting a shot of the minerality characteristic of our Evan's Ranch fruit. While this sumptuous Syrah is delicious now with grilled and barbecued fare, it will develop beautifully in bottle and become even more complex with 3-5 years' aging.
June 2009
Retail Price $42