2017 2017 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 a bold California expression, rich in body and flavor.
Technical
Tasting Notes
On first swirl, there is just an explosion of black florals and black fruits followed by some amazing spice of delicate white pepper. On the palate, there is a beautiful velvet quality to the wine. There is an element of raspberries covered in dark chocolate as well as a beautiful crushed earth element - a great expression of the beautiful soils of Bradford Mountain.
Details
Up above the Dry Creek Valley at 1000 feet elevation is the Grist Vineyard. The unique iron rich soil coupled with the western exposure of this terraced Syrah vineyard yields a beautiful wine. When looking at a map, there is nothing in between these grapes on Bradford Mountain and the sea except for 25 miles of of forest. The vineyard was planted in the the 1970s by the Hambrecht Family and farmed organically since the early 2000s. It was a welcome additon to the Raft Wines lineup in 2017 and we’re honored to work with the fruit.
The Grist Vineyard was picked on what was a record breaking day in the beginning of a heat wave to ensure the grapes didn’t get too ripe. A group of all star girlfriends of Raft Wines rolled up their sleeves to pick the one ton of grapes safely picked and into the winery.
At the winery, the grapes were 100% destemmed and fermented natively for 11 days. They were then pressed and aged in neutral oak. On July 27, 2018 the wine went into bottle after a 10 month aging period unfined and unfiltered.