2017 Paso Robles Willow Creek District "James Berry Vineyard" Syrah
100% Syrah
Finally! A normal yielding year! Picked October 6th, we fermented each clone (ENTAV clones 470 and 174) separately with yeast strains that emphasize varietal character and mouthfeel through polysaccharide production. Each lot was pressed after twenty-one days on the skins to all French oak, an average of 22% new. Once malolactic fermentation completed the following spring we assembled the best blend of the two sub-lots. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Dark black-purple. Opaque. An absolute drop-dead gorgeous nose of blackberry, mulberry, and freshly tilled loamy earth. On the palate, full-bodied, authoritative, and powerful but with impeccable balance. A long moderately tannic finish. Tastes almost like a hypothetical blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah given the abundance of blueberry flavor. We’d suggest forgetting about this bad boy for seven years and then enjoying through 2037. (MRO - 11/01/19)