2015 Syrah Grenache Mataro

Blackberry, currant, dark cherry, and mocha on the nose. Layers of blueberry, dried plum, and clove on entry. Full bodied with coated tannins. Finish is long, with notes of black pepper and brown spice.” – MB (11/17)

For our second release of this Rhone-style varietal blend, we selected grapes from three closely planted parcels at our Lytton West vineyard. The grapes were destemmed, but left to ferment as whole berries to moderate tannins and accentuate fruit. Syrah adds color and dark fruit while mataro and grenache contribute structure and aroma. Enjoyable on release, this wine will continue to evolve for another five to six years.

This wine comes from two hillside parcels at Lytton West. One is planted entirely to syrah while the other we planted half to grenache and half to mataro. A late ripening varietal, mataro, synonymous with mourvedre, does not always mature before the onset of fall rains. Typically it is used as a blending varietal. In 2015, both ripened fully and we fermented them separately. After malolactic we decided to combine the elegant fruit of the grenache with the earthier mataro and syrah.

Rainfall: 33.2 inches (just below normal)
Bloom: Mid-May
Weather: Very wet December, followed by the driest January on record (0.05”). Cool, wet late spring helped with rainfall totals, but reduced our crop across all varieties. Harvest started early (mid-August) and finished quickly.

Harvest Dates: 2 & 15 September
Grapes: Average brix 24.0˚
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; daily pump-overs; pressed at eleven days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 40% one and two years old, 40% three, four and five years old).
Aging: Twelve months in barrel

Hand-harvested, sustainably grown, estate grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; 0.2 g/L tartaric acid addition; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (25 ppm at crush and 74 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Average Rating: 90.5

No. of Tasting Notes: 42

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See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.