This wine was envisioned by Fall 2022 Viticulture & Enology graduate, Kyler Magnus. Kyler set out to create a unique Syrah that exhibited a more herbal and spicy flavor profile. To accomplish this, the class sought a cool vineyard site, selecting Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA for its relatively high elevation, diverse clone selections, and southern exposure. Students visited the vineyard throughout harvest to assess ripening by tasting the Syrah berries and the stems and collecting samples for chemical analysis. The class opted to pick the grapes once the berries had fully ripened, and the stems exhibited and herbal, non-bitter, spicy, snap-pea flavor.
To further achieve the desired flavor profile, the wine was fermented in a combination of 50% destemmed, crushed fruit and 50% whole cluster grapes. In the whole cluster portion, the students manually crushed the berries, treading by foot to extract flavor from the berries and stems. To reduce oak impact, the wine was first aged in one new, large-format (500L), and two once-used, medium toast, French oak barrels. The wine was then aged for six months in a concrete tank to refine the texture and keep the oak aroma low. The resulting wine has vibrant floral and black fruit flavors with a savory herb finish and a touch of spice. The tannins are very fine on the palette with a rich, round mouthfeel.
Partner Winery: J. Bookwalter Wines
Partner Vineyard: Stillwater Creek Vineyard
Flavor Profile: Plum, blueberry, violet, spicy pepper, savory herbs
Composition:pH 3.7, RS .04 g/L, TA 6.2g/L, 14.4% Alc. By Vol.
Quantity Produced: 100 Cases
