2019 Single Acre Syrah

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

Our lower elevation section 45.3 is warmer than most others on our site and ideally suited for ripening this warmer climate variety. Planted in 2008, our Syrah is always some of the last fruit that we pick, allowing it to ripen and achieve varietal typicity fully. This wine is co-fermented with our Viognier in stainless steel. We strive for balanced yet persistent expression of tannin in this wine without over extracting it. This wine then spent 18 months élevage. This is a rich and complex wine that showcases blueberry compote, black pepper, and fennel. Intense with bright acidity and generous, persistent tannins, and flavors of olive tapenade. This wine will continue to open up and age beautifully.

VINTAGE OVERVIEW

The 2019 vintage was a return to a classic Oregon growing season. Bud break, bloom, lag phase, and harvest dates all fell within days of the 2013 and 2014 vintages. Our estate crop set on target with expected levels for all varieties. Moderate summer weather persisted, presenting very few heat spikes and delivering only one notable record-breaking day in June. Cool, wet weather arrived early in September, pushing ripening and delaying the harvest window. The conditions in late September and October returned to sunny days and brisk nights, allowing us to pick based on ripe fruit flavors and near-perfect natural acidity.