Harvest Date
October 10, 2009
Months in Oak
Eleven
Alcohol
14.8
Brix
23.8
pH
3.7
TA
8.5 grams/liter
Rs
Dry
Production
84 cases
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands
The Vineyard
Manzoni Estate Vineyard is located only one mile south of our winery at the base of the Santa Lucia Highlands. The vineyard is planted to the Dijon 470 clone and is trellised to the Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) system, providing ample sun exposure to the fruit for good flavor development.
The Vintage
2009 comes to a close with our assessment that yet a fifth consecutive great Vintage has been brought to "the Barn" (our 80+ year old former Swiss Italian dairy, now winery). January and early February saw unprecedented warm temperatures that caused an early budbreak. During flowering in the middle of May the thermometer again reached the upper 90 °F mark. The balance of the growing season up through harvest was, in contrast, very moderate to even slightly cool. We were now preparing for a late season with grapes not expected until late Fall. In anticipation of heavy rains from the remnants of Typhoon Melor (the worst to hit Japan in two decades), we scrambled to bring in all the fruit during the middle of October. The long hours paid off and incredible quality wines are now finishing fermentation and resting gracefully in the winery.
The Winemaking
Three tons of handpicked fruit was crushed into two separate fermentors and allowed to “cold soak” for 72 hours. A different yeast strain was added to each fermentor to extract separate and subtle fruit aromas. Pressed directly into French oak, the wine was barrel aged for eleven months before blending and bottling.
Tasting Notes
This is a rich, full-bodied Syrah, perfectly balancing fruit-forwardness and peppery spice. Ripe raspberries provide a very bright, tart opening. Soft tannins present a very supple mouth feel, while hints of tobacco and pepper round out the edges of the wine. A lingering, long-lasting finish is supported by the faintest hint of smokiness. Be sure to pair this wine with hearty stews and lemon pepper chicken, preferably cooked over an oak wood barbecue.
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91 Points |
Steve Pessagno, Winemaker
Price: $35
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