Production:
93
Release Date:November 2009
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This is the first vintage that we have produced and bottled a single-vineyard Syrah from the Sapphire Hill property in the upper reach of the Russian River Valley. In previous vintages, we had found the wine to be quite good, with an especially rich mid-palate, but it didn’t quite show all of the character we wanted in a single-vineyard wine. However, in 2006 we tasted the various barrels and came up with a blend that we thought was outstanding. What made 2006 a special vintage for Syrah at Sapphire Hill? Part of it was hang-time. We were able to let the Syrah at this Russian River location hang well into October, not
picking the grapes until October 23. This extra time on the vines allowed the grapes to develop full flavors. It also allowed for riper stems and thus we were able to utilize 40% whole cluster in this wine, something we hadn’t been able to do in previous vintages. Overall, this combination of full flavors and ripe stems allowed us to produce a wine that we just felt had to be bottled by itself. With a unique combination of red and black fruits, hints of white pepper, vanilla, and sandalwood, this Syrah truly opens up 3 hours after opening. The tannins are firm but these, too, soften with air, and promise a long, positive evolution in the cellar.
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