2018 Syrah, Thompson Vineyard
In Stock
Vineyards and Composition: 100% Thompson Vineyard Syrah, Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County.
Barrel Aging and Cooperage: Twenty-two months in 100% French oak (Sirugue, Francois Freres and Mercurey).
Production: 121 cases
Winemaking: The Syrah grapes came from the “old” planting of Estrella River Clone on Thompson Vineyard that was planted almost thirty years ago. This old block is cane pruned and produced just over two tons per acre in 2018 due to the extremely sandy soils and cool nature of the site. The wine resulted in intense varietal character with incredible depth and concentration. The grapes were 80% destemmed without being crushed, leaving approximately 95% whole berries and 20% whole clusters, into two 1-ton open top fermentors and cold-soaked for five days prior to inoculation with an Hermitage isolate yeast. After the cold soak, the grapes were punched down by hand one to three times per day, for 14 days, until fermentation was complete. The free run juice was drained off and the remaining must was basket pressed and settled before being racked into three year old and older French oak barrels for aging. This wine was aged in barrel for an additional twenty-two months prior to being racked from barrel and bottled in late August of 2018.
ACCOLADES: 93 pts - Wine Enthusiast
92+pts - Rhone Report
95+ pts - Jeb Dennuck
