Edna Valley Syrah

Following two days of cold soak at about 55°F, we added a moderately fermenting yeast to our open-topped tanks. The cap was irrigated at intervals with gentle pumpovers. After fermentation was complete we put the wine to barrel for malolactic fermentation. Most of the wine was racked and aerated at least once during barrel aging to soften tannin structure. We aged the Syrah in a mix of French oak and American oak during the 11 months of maturation. We included a small amount of Petite Sirah in the final blend to add structure and volume in the mouth. A complex wine, the 2003 Edna Valley Vineyard Syrah displays opulent, black cherry and blackberry flavors, complemented by smoke, caramel and vanilla notes, a full, viscous mouthful with medium tannin and a long, chocolate and coffee finish.