2007 Syrah "Bien Nacido (X-Block)"

$40 per bottle / $432 per case
$34 per bottle / $384 per case (Members)

“The wine has Platonic syrah character: white pepper, anise, and bacon fat, the signifiers of syrah found in an Hermitage.”
—Winemaker Randall Grahm

“Attractive bacon/lard notes intermixed with crème de cassis and tapenade are present in this dark ruby/purple-tinged wine. Built with more power, intensity, and muscle, yet at the same time retaining its elegance, this is a wine that should drink nicely for up to a decade.”
—Robert M. Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate, August 2010

The 2007 Bien Nacido Syrah is the true avatar of syrah, exhibiting the Northern Rhône signifiers of bacon fat, spice, leather, and the delicate perfume of eucalyptus, blackberry, and violets.

This extraordinary fruit derives from the oldest block, the X-Block, of the highly esteemed Bien Nacido Vineyard® in climatically cool Santa Maria. We’ve been working with this 30-year-old syrah for the last twenty years, but only recently have we begun to keep a small lot separate. We believe in less intervention to preserve the wine's expression of place, the flavor of the varietal, and the soul of the vine. Only 657 cases were produced.

The fruit was hand-harvested at full (but emphatically not over-) ripeness to elicit the elegance, nuance, and texture typical of a true Rhône Syrah. Fermented on indigenous yeast, the wine then spent two years in puncheon. We employed minimal racking and lees conservation to produce a savory and superlatively food-friendly Syrah.

2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition Gold Medalist

Wine Enthusiast "Editor's Choice," August 2011

Vital Statistics
Blend: 100% syrah
Vineyard: Bien Nacido, X Block
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley
Alcohol by Volume: 13.5%
Serving Temp: 55-60ºF
Cellaring: 6-12 years from release (Apr. 2010)
Production: 657 cases
TA: 6.9 g/L
pH: 3.8
Enormously age-worthy; we recommend gently decanting this wine when consumed young.