Lafond Winery 2006 SRH Syrah
The ‘SRH’ designation on the Lafond label signals Winemaker Bruce McGuire’s intent to blend a selection of vineyards located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). Located in the western end if the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills is a cold climate region where grapes benefit from a very long growing season.
After the bountiful 2005 harvest, the Syrah vines rested a little. Between the smaller harvest and Bruce’s strict selection criteria from within our vineyard and the neighboring Hill Top Ranch Vineyard, the production of the 2006 was down by 550 cases. The wine shows the beginnings of being a big Syrah needing time to integrate in the bottle to show off the concentrated fruit and intense flavors.
Bruce’s selection of seventeen vineyard lots from multiple Syrah clones has really paid off in a powerful expression of fruit from aroma to finish. He then aged the wine in a blend barrels to give the wine layers of complexity and texture. This Syrah shows the “cool-climate” character found in Syrah grown in the Santa Rita Hills. Flavors are marked by forward dark berry, violets, and terrific white pepper spice intensity.
This wine will nicely integrate in the bottle before early 2009 and will continue to be very impressive into 2012. One of our favorite wines for pairing with hearty fare and grilled foods, this wine is also fun to match with cheese such as Taleggio.
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We have finished with the Pinot Noir and now we are beginning to pick the Syrah. The Syrah harvest is going to be down this year but not as much as the Pinot Noir. The clusters are smaller and the berries are smaller — good news for quality. And the fact that we are picking later than normal — longer hang time — also good news for quality.
The second picture shows the vibrating table with screen over which the grapes pass. You can see what falls through. These small shot berries, seeds and other small particles are scooped up and discarded.
The third photo, working the line, is our inestimable public relations maven Koleen Hamblin who has taken under her wing a row of Syrah for which she is personally responsible — pruning, leafing, harvesting — time permitting.
Our Syrah harvest is about to begin. The grapes and the clusters are smaller than usual — great for quality. This is one of the three varieties we chose to feature under our Lafond label, the other two Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, because we felt that our cool climate Syrah was exceptional. It is much more structured than Syrah from warmer areas benifiting not only from more ‘hang time’ but from better acid.
This year’s harvest looks to be a winner with no blocks that can be characterized as inferior. The photo shows a typical vine and the effects of ‘leafing’ to expose the fruit. Some of the fruit was also dropped, before harvest, to balance the foliage with the fruit. Decisions by Winemaker Bruce McGuire that are critical in assuring that the fruit ripens evenly.
The Syrah is beginning to show veraison but unlike the Pinot Noir, at this stage, which must be completely netted or it will be ravaged by starlings, Syrah is rarely netted and, if so, only in selected areas. The Syrah clusters are larger than those for Pinot Noir, the berries , as well, are larger and their skin is tougher which may offer them more protection.
The first photo is of Syrah and shows the stage of veraison, or coloring. The second is of the entrance to the Lafond Winery and Vineyard showing the beginning of our Syrah block located next to Santa Rosa Road.
New Release:
Santa Ynez Valley 2005 Syrah
Winemaker Bruce McGuire is an early pioneer in blending Syrah grown throughout the west-east traverse of the Santa Ynez Valley. Because Syrah is proving to be the rare example of a varietal that can be grown in all the temperature zones found in our valley, blending vineyards becomes an intriguing endeavor.
The year after Bruce grafted the first Syrah in the Santa Rita Hills (1993) into our Lafond Vineyard, he noted the cool climate character of white pepper and complex lavender aromas were quite a bit more pronounced than even he had anticipated.
Since these components are forward flavors, Bruce sought out Syrah grown in the warmer eastern end of the valley where the grape exhibits the jammy fruit and black pepper character experienced in the back of the mouth.
In 2005, Bruce was able to split nearly equal portions of warmer climate Syrah with cool climate Syrah. Our cool climate Lafond Vineyard and neighboring Hill Top Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills represent 56% of the blend while the Joughin Vineyard near Los Olivos is the remaining 44%. Most of the wine aged in the small 60 gallon barrels as Syrah benefits from ample barrel aging.
“I chose six lots of Syrah from these climates to make a complete Syrah with big fruit intensity for a complete mouth experience” adds Bruce.
This small production wine shows big structure, black fruit and intense white pepper spice. In the bottle, 2009 should see full flavor development. Pair with rustic fare, grilled meats, and washed rind cheeses.
Suggested Retail: 16.00
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We combined a New Releases Open House with an exhibition of paintings by Garrett Speirs. Garrett spends half the year in Tuscany and the other half in Santa Barbara. Some of his larger canvases were inspired by a trip in David Lafond’s fishing boat up the coast following Highway 101. A view you can glimpse as you drive to the winery.
The inclement weather did not inhibit visitors and they were rewarded by Mirella’s great selection of food and, of course, wine. One of the interesting wines we tasted for, the first time, was a 2004 Lafond Vineyard Syrah / Grenache blend.
We planted a small block of Grenache seven years ago. Winemaker Bruce McGuire wanted to create a traditional Provence blend from our vineyard.
The wait was worth it.
Garrett Speirs paintings
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