After a dry winter, we had some nice warm weather in early spring. Summer turned on the cool side of normal. The weather pattern gave us a long growing season; but, the cool summer was a small worry. We did get some heat spikes around Labor Day, followed by some sprinkles of rain in late September. The rain was just enough to wash the dust off the grapes. Overall, the weather gave us a steady pace of ripening. A harvest of 8 tons per acre was produced.

Deep ruby in the glass, this is a refined and elegant wine, reminiscent of our ‘04. On the nose you’ll find a bloom of blackberries and bing cherry with hints of leather and truffles. The initial flavors are of ripe blackberry and cherry, and a hint of licorice, finishing with velvety tannins and cherry with a slight hint of vanilla. The structure is solid, with smooth tannins and well balanced acidity.

The versatile 2007 Syrah can accompany a wide variety of foods, from lighter dishes like pastas and grilled fish, to more substantial entrees like chicken parmesan and b-b-q steak. Of course, it is also great just on its own.

The wine is unfiltered. Wonderful now, it will continue to benefit from aging for another 5-10 years.