The 2004 growing season was slightly warmer than normal, resulting in excellent conditions to fully ripen cool climate Syrah grapes and create wines of great richness and concentration.

After many years of working with the remarkably diverse Syrah grape, I have found that an adaptation of Australian winemaking techniques brings out the best expression of this grape. The goal is to maximize extraction prior to the midpoint of fermentation to preserve the unique fruit character and avoid the possibility of harsh tannins. The grapes were crushed into tanks and given a 4 to 5 day cold soak. During this time, a saignée was drawn off to further enhance concentration. During the most active days of fermentation, we performed ‘rack and returns’ for additional extraction. The wine was pressed immediately at the conclusion of fermentation, then aged 15 months in 60-gallon French oak barrels with 30% new oak in the mix.