With its seductive core of deep, textured fruit and tantalizing spice, our 2008 Casatierra Vineyard Syrah is a captivating mosaic of Syrah's most enticing attributes. In 2008, a generally warm summer in Fiddletown ripened the Syrah at Casatierra Vineyard to its richest potential while cool airflows down the vineyard's hillside at night provided their normal respites that slow ripening and foster complexity. We selected the grapes for this wine from the top of the hillside, which benefits the most from bereft soils and the daily cycle of warming and cooling. We assembled the finished wine with 4% Viognier in the tradition of Côte Rotie. This contributes higher-tone, slightly floral aromas to the wine and amplifies its voluptuous mouthfeel.
Rich and filling aromas of blackberry are punctuated by notes of rosewood. This wine is expansive on the palate with deep layers of dark berries, black tea, and traces of lavender leading to an enduring, sultry finish with just a whisper of bacon fat. A pleasing sense of tannin contributes to an ageworthy structure. Representative food pairings: daube provençale, short ribs braised in red wine and sherry vinegar, or steak au poivre.
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Harvest Date
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Sep 18, 2008
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Pre-Fermentation
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Fermentation Method
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5 days cold soak
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small lots, hand-punched
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Fermentation Time
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Fermentation Temp
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9 days average
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85 F peak
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Élévage
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Barrel Program
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10 months, sur lies
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French oak (15% new)
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Composition
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Final Alcohol
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96% Syrah, 4% Viognier
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15.3%
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General Release
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Cases Produced
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Feb 21, 2010
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79
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