2018 2018 Syrah
SYRAH is a classic French varietal, stemming from an over 2000 year old cross pollination of two nearly extinct varietals, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche, from the southeastern corner of the country. Syrah is known for its heartiness, but also delicate and smooth palate. This Syrah is meant to evoke those classic expressions, but also offer a bright California take on a beloved varietal.
Technical
Tasting Notes
Year after year we love how the Weed Farms Syrah presents notes of the vineyard - violet and bay leaf, followed by black olive and thyme - the perfect balance of being both wild and delicate at the same time. On the palate it is a mouthful of blackberry and crunchy tannins with a lovely black pepper spice. It is a great wine to be paired with roasted meats or vegetables, at a dinner with friends.
Details
RAFT WINES was started with this Syrah vineyard. When the opportunity to make wine presented itself, it was this vineyard that really got the wheels in motion. Weed Farms is tucked into a small corner off West Dry Creek Road, approximately 70 miles north of San Francisco. While a large portion of the valley is planted to Zinfandel, there are pockets of Rhone varietals scattered about. This particular vineyard is in a cool site, where winter temperatures can sometimes leave frost on the ground for the entire day. This makes for a surprisingly lighter-in-style Syrah in comparison to some its neighbors.
The 2018 Weed Farms Syrah was picked on September 15 and 16th. Once brought into the winery, it was 100% destemmed and left to cold soak for five days. On the second day of the soak, approximately 4% Viognier was added. The co-fermentation with Viognier aids color extraction, and adds a little floral lift. On day five, the wine began naturally fermenting.
After a 19 day fermentation, the free run wine was drained and the skins were pressed. The wine was aged in a neutral oak puncheon and a neutral oak barrels.
On August 14, 2019 the wine went into bottle after a 10 month aging period.