Syrah, Santa Barbara County, 2005

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 abundant with suggestions of cherry, blackberry and hints of vanilla. Its silky texture carries ripe fruit and tannins on the palate.

Grapes for our 2005 Syrah come from three different vineyards – our own estate vineyard as well as two neighboring vineyards 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 (47%) and old French oak barrels for 16 months. During blending, we included 7% Petite Sirah and 5% Grenache to add to the complexity of the wine. The wine was bottled unfiltered on February 14th, 2007 and released in April. 943 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:
Windmill Ranch 45%, Rusack Estate 40%, Tierra Alta 5%

Bottle analysis:
Alcohol: 14.5%, pH: 3.58, TA: 0.645

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