Santa Barbara Winery Santa Ynez Valley 2006 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 2006, Bruce crafted a blend of about two-thirds cool climate Lafond Vineyard and neighboring Hill Top Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills with one-third warm climate Joughin Vineyard near Los Olivos. Most of the wine aged in small 60 gallon barrels as Syrah benefits from ample barrel aging. “Our yields were below average this vintage, but flavor concentration is above average…really a great year for quality” notes Bruce. In the bottle, we will guess that 2010 will see full flavor development but 2012 could be the real target. Pair with rustic fare, grilled meats, and washed rind cheeses.
Price: 18.00/750ml
To Order:
Today Winemaker Bruce MaGuire (in the blue sweater) with David, Andy and Enrique inspected the frost damage in one of our younger blocks of Pinot Noir. The prognostic is not good. Some varieties, such as the Riesling, are an almost total wipe-out. The Pinot Noir which normally produces 2.5 to 3 tons per acre looks like 1/2 a ton per acre — not that much different from last year which was also damaged by frost. There were a lot of sad faces.
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