2009 La Côte Rousse-1.5 ltr

This year’s blend of Syrah La Côte Rousse is nearly equal portions of our two Red Mountain Syrah vineyard sources, Ciel du Cheval and Ranch at the End of the Road. Once again the synergy between these two sites and the four clones creates a blend of power, complexity, and completeness.

The mid-season heat was a factor with these Red Mountain vineyards, as the berries can easily sunburn or become “heat affected” so that they never quite ripen right. We shade the clusters with the leaf canopy, especially on the western-facing side, to avoid these problems. It worked well, yielding small berries that actually needed very little hand-sorting. The result is a wine that’s the runner-up for blackest of the Syrahs (see La Côte Patriarche below!), with super density, yet an approachability that’s uncommon for this blend.

Serve cool, 60-62°F. Best from 2014 through 2020.