2008 Syrah "Alamo Creek"

$35.00 per bottle / $378 per case
$29.75 per bottle / $336 per case (Members)

One never wants to get gushy about a particular wine. A more impressive one will come along in time (one hopes), but this particular wine of all of our fine products is the one that just blows my mind, and of which I am incredibly proud. It’s a wine I could perhaps never have dreamed of years ago when I imagined Syrah as primarily about spice, à l’Hermitage, and about perfume, à la Côte Rotie. This wine is about earth, very much à la Cornas, and perforce about minerals and about qi, or life-force. There is something utterly primal about it.

If you were to see the Alamo Creek Vineyard, you’d find it planted on an old riverbed littered with cobbles. Stones, I am told, in the process of weathering, yield the richest source of available minerals to plants. I am forbidden by right-thinking governmental agencies from saying this wine is restorative of health and vitality, but it will at least restore your faith in the magical possibilities of the grape.

Nearly opaque with a black-cherry colored robe, the wine offers aromas of spring violets, anise, and Provençal herbs like lavender and thyme. Slightly peppery with a meaty core, with nuances of cherry, black fruits, and spice. Supple tannins and slight gaminess give it savory balance. Utterly not a fruit bomb: a very elegant, very Old World style Syrah. For optimal expression, we suggest a gentle decanting, allowing the wine to breathe an hour or two prior to consumption.

Vital Statistics
Blend: 100% syrah
Vineyard: Alamo Creek
Appellation: San Luis Obispo County
Alcohol by Volume: 13.5%
Production: 572 cases
TA: 0.69 g/100 ml
pH: 3.80
Cellaring: 2-5 years from release (Feb. 2011)
Serving Temp: 55-60º F