Syrah
2008 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
Posted Ryan Zepaltas - 31 Aug, 2010With Syrah supposedly being such a bad word these days, we are grateful that we are able to sell all of our Syrah without a problem. Hopefully it is because people think that we do a great job with the fruit, but I like to think that it is because Rosella’s Vineyard is such a great site for Syrah. Also, the fact that Gary Franscioni knows what he is doing when it comes to farming syrah.
After the fruit is harvested (night pick under the lights-always) it is transported to the winery in refrigerated trucks. We like to keep it simple in the cellar: cold soak the fruit for 5 days, we foot stomp and hand punch down the fermentors twice a day, warm up the fruit, ferment it (50% whole cluster on this wine) to dryness, press the wine to barrel, age it in barrel for 16 months. We may rack it if the wine needs it, or not at all. Lastly, we bottle it unfiltered and let it sit another 6 months before releasing it to you.
On the nose, scents of blueberry, blackberry and pepper come flying out of the glass. On the palate the wine is vibrant and loaded with flavors of anise, bacon and almost Grenache like flavors. The finish is quite lengthy due to the chalky tannins. This wine should age great as it always seems to do. I recently had the 04,05,06 &07 Rosella’s next to each other in a tasting, and they all were doing great and showing no signs of fatigue. In fact, the older the wine, the better it was showing.
2007 Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
Posted Ryan Zepaltas - 23 Oct, 2009My boss, Adam Lee of Siduri Wines challenged me to name a “classic” Syrah vineyard from CA. I know plenty of great vineyards (James Berry, Alban Estate, Kick Ranch, etc.) there really in no clear-cut “classic” that is established right? I think that Adam is totally right. Syrah in California is at an even much younger stage than Pinot Noir is. Have we even made a “classic” syrah in CA yet? I know lots of great producers making incredible Syrahs, but are their name recognizable outside of the United States?
Well, I’d go to bat for Rosella’s Vineyard to be considered a classic syrah vineyard someday. It is farmed with great care by Gary Franscioni, and Gary is dead serious about his vines. This wine expresses typicity, it is consistent in quality, and it can easily be picked out in a blind tasting of other Syrahs. On the nose, the 2007 is a bit more meaty, but still expresses the usual coffee, citrus and blackberry character. On the palate, there is structure provided by the stem inclusion, and the chalky tannins. This wine is intense, and powerful but the mouthfeel is not cloying and over the top. This wine really needs at least an hour before drinking, and begs to be served with something braised. At this stage it has some tight grip, and will be a candidate for aging at least a year before thinking of popping a bottle.
2006 Rosella’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
Posted WebNerd - 9 Sep, 2008In 2006 I stayed the course with my winemaking: just a little new oak (25% new French) and used the same yeast (Grenache.) I did however; decide to go with 50% stem inclusion in the fermentation. I absolutely love the added layer of complexity and texture that stems can add to a wine, and finally had the cajones to go with more whole cluster. Not only do we have this lush fruit profile in the Rosella’s Syrah, but also we have a nice tannin layer that holds the wine upright and gives it some more presence.
The 2006 has the flavors that I love from Rosella’s: cocoa, coffee, blackberry and a kiss of citrus. What I can say that is different about the ’06 compared to years past is that it us just more exotic and plush. There is still a great acid profile that gives the wine a freshness, but the wine is just plain crazier to be honest. Winter is coming, and this wine will go great with some hearty braised dishes.
2005 Rosella’s Vineyard Syrah
Posted WebNerd - 18 Jun, 2008With a vineyard that is as consistent as Rosella's each year, it can be hard to come up with new tasting notes. Franscioni and his crew have the vineyard so dialed in that I know that I can always expect beautiful, perfectly cared for fruit that can be turned into killer syrah.
2005 was a cooler year in general, and the ever-present cool winds that come through the Santa Lucia Highlands worked their magic each afternoon, and allowed the syrah to hang on for a long time. Slow, even ripening creates complex fruit. The final wine is layered with all multiple characters: a touch of citrus rides high above a core of blueberries, blackberries and coffee. The wine is intense and powerful yet the mouth feel is not too viscous. I fermented the two clones 877 & Bien Nacido separately; both about 10% whole cluster to add an herbal layer to the flavor profile and strength to the backbone.
