Syrah, Santa Barbara County, 2007

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 cherry, blackberry and hints of pepper. Its silky texture carries ripe fruit and tannins on the palate.

Grapes for our Syrah come from our own estate vineyard here in Ballard Canyon. 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 new (41%) and neutral French oak barrels for 16 months. During blending, we included 7% Petite Sirah and 10% Grenache to add to the complexity of the wine. The wine was bottled unfiltered in February, 2009 and released at the end of that year. 838 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:
Rusack Estate 100%

Bottle analysis:
Alcohol: Alcohol 14.5%, pH 3.63, TA 0.58 g/100ml

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