“Twin Sons of Different Mothers”

Dan Fogelberg

Syrah, perhaps more than any other grape we make wine with, suffers from (or is blessed by, depending on your perspective) multiple personality disorder. Depending on where it’s grown and how, plus its  handling in the winery, Syrah can emerge as a plush, jammy glass of black velvet or a complicated thoughtprovoking glass of pepper and leather with a berry or two on top. We think ours is a balance of the best of both.

Our Syrah is fruit-driven but definitely not jammy. Dried blueberry and black raspberry flavors do predominate, but they’re bright and juicy. There’s a layer of cocoa following the fruit that ends with a dash of  black pepper. What we love the most about the wine, however, is the lovely floral notes that come through in the aroma. Lavender is prominent, but other more savory herbs finish.

When we “walked” the vineyard at Corinne Moore’s Wine Tree Farm, we sampled fruit grown from two Syrah clones—one Australian, the other, French. We found that the Australian fruit was very ripe and lush,  but the French was tarter and had more “bite” in the skin tannins—more to our style—so we used 100% French clone fruit. All the varieties at Wine Tree seem to have a floral note, so we think that this is a  classic example of terroir—the vineyard shines through the wine.

Pair this Syrah with anything savory. Big soups and stews with lots of herb and spice work well with it, whether they’re meaty or vegetarian. Be sure to save some for dessert; dark, bittersweet chocolate is a  natural for it.

Technical Data:
Appellation: Amador
Blend: 96% Syrah, 4% Grenache
Alcohol: 14.9%
Acidity: 0.55 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: Dry
pH: 3.6
Malolactic Fermentation: Complete
Barrels: 2 and 3 year old French Oak
Harvest Date: September 9, 2009
Bottling Date: August 23, 2010
Release Date: October 31, 2010
Total Production: 111 Cases
Price: $21
Awards: Gold Medal, Florida State Fair International Wine Competition
Silver Medal, SF Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal, Consumer Wine Awards
Silver Medal, Grand Harvest Awards