San Benito County
Located at the base of the Eastern foothills of San Benito County, Idyll Times Vineyard is sheltered from the winds of “the Mistral” climate, characterized by warm, breezy days and moderately cool nights. The soil is sparse and shallow, restricting root development and canopy growth. These conditions are ideal for the sometimes overly vigorous and cool climate loving Syrah grape.
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.
This vineyard typically produces an extremely limited amount of concentrated fruit. To accentuate the fruit character and soften the tannin structure, two selected yeast strains from France were used for fermentation. In the summer of 2010, the wine was racked barrel-to-barrel, to incorporate a small amount of tannin softening oxygen.
Idyll Times fruit is always opulent and showy, with forward fruit and jammy flavors. Blackberry, plum, and licorice are dominant in the aroma, while French oak nuances complement the bouquet. This wine begs a grilled steak, hearty stews, game dishes, and strong cheeses.
Stephen Pessagno, Winemaker