2016 High Ground Syrah
Winemaker's Reserve: Familiar aromas of dried rose petals, spicy red-black fruit, and white pepper, intermingled with even more concentrated flavors of black and blue berries, plums, and roasted meats.
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Tasting Notes
Right out of the bottle, it displays complex and spicy aromas of wild berries, leather, and freshly cut violets. With aeration in the glass, more blue and black fruit emerges, balanced by Yorkville’s signature acidity. Extended barrel age has added a layer of tannin that will help it age gracefully for many years into the future.
Vineyard Notes
2016 was the last of four long years of drought which had a profound impact on the grapevines growing conditions. With little water in the ground the vines started their growing season earlier each year during the drought. 2016 was by far the earliest we had seen vines bud out in over a decade but luckily there was no frost in the Spring. The Summer was moderate, and the first harvest of Syrah was particularly early. However, things cooled considerably and the other blocks of Syrah hung in the vineyard for an additional month.
Winemaker Notes
The fruit cold soaked for 24-hours and was inoculated with yeast the next morning. Pumping over the Syrah was adjusted in duration and frequency, depending on taste and yeast activity (one to three times per day). The ferments were pressed off between one and four brix and then returned to tank. Once dry, the wine was racked off lees and inoculated for malolactic fermentation and done in barrel, and upon completion, racked into barrel for 26 months. Though the wine was filtered, owing to its time in barrel, fining was not necessary.
Pairings
The classic bacon, blueberry, and white pepper characteristics coat the palate and make the 2016 Syrah a gorgeous food wine.
Ratings
92 points: Wine Enthusiast
Vintage |
2016 |
Wine Style |
Red Wine |
Varietal |
Syrah |
Varietal Composition |
100%
Syrah
|
Appellation |
Yorkville Highlands |
Aging |
30 months |
Barrel Aging |
30 months
50%
Neutral Oak
50%
New French Oak
|
Alcohol % |
14.7 |
Size |
750 ml |