Syrah, Santa Barbara County, 2008

It can be said that the Syrah varietal is Santa Barbara County's great noble red. Formidable and ageworthy, it excels beyond all measure in our county. This bottling is abundant with suggestions of blackberry, blueberry and hints of vanilla. Its silky texture carries ripe fruit and tannins on the palate.

Grapes for our Syrah come from four sources; our estate vineyard, nearby Tierra Alta Vineyard on the Ballard Canyon, Valley View Vineyard in Santa Ynez and Premier Coastal Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. After the grapes were removed from their stems, they were cold-soaked and then fermented in small, open-top bins. We carefully punched down the fermenting must by hand twice a day. The Syrah was then aged in a mixture of 36% new oak (29% French Oak, 7% American oak) and neutral barrels for 16 months. The final blend was determined to be 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah and 11% Grenache, which was bottle unfiltered in February 2010. 1,148 cases were produced.

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Optimum Storage Conditions: Constant temperature, 55-58° F, darkness

Aging Potential: To enjoy young fruit aromas, consume within 1-3 years of bottling date. For extended aging under ideal conditions, consume within 3-10 years of bottling date.

Vineyards:
45% Rusack Estate, 21% Valley View, 19% Premier Coastal, 15% Tierra Alta

Bottle analysis:
Alcohol: Alcohol 14.5%, pH 3.60, TA 0.645 g/100ml

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