2022 Syrah Grenache Mataro

Aromas of dark plum, iris, taffy, white chocolate, blueberry, red licorice, and peppercorn. A full and weighty entry with notes of blackberry, black cherry, and vanilla on the palate. The tannins are well integrated for a complex mid-palate with pleasant acidity, making for a long and juicy finish. TG (3/24)

Low yields created intense fruit and tannin in this unique wine. A warm summer followed by a heat wave in September pushed the grapes to ripen quickly. The syrah in this Rhône-style blend gives color and depth to the wine. The grenache adds floral notes while the mataro lends hints of spice. This alluring wine is enjoyable now and will continue to develop over the next seven years. TG (3/24)

This wine comes from two hillside parcels at Lytton West. One is planted entirely to syrah while the other is planted to half grenache and half mataro. Mataro, a late ripening variety synonymous with mourvedre, does not always mature before the onset of fall rains.

Rainfall: 20.5 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Mid-May
Weather: 2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received spring rains that helped the vines. These same rains caused shatter in our syrah, reducing their crop. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.

Harvest Dates: 2 – 16 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.5˚
TA: 5.58 g/L
pH: 3.77
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; daily pump-overs.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (17% new, 19% two years old, and 64% four years old).
Aging: Seventeen months in barrel

Hand-harvested, organically grown grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring malolactic bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush and 87 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.

OwenBargreen.com: 94 Points “Mainly Syrah (64%) this has 26% Grenache and small parts Matarao and Viognier blend in. Coming from the Lytton Estate Vineyard, the wine opens with a great bouquet of red rose petals with dark currants, tobacco and damp soils. The palate is rich and layered with great verve. Enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2025-2033.” -Owen Bargreen (June 2025)

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