Fall Release GVR Estate Vineyard Jack Robert's Run Syrah
2009

Winemaker’s Notes

This is a remarkable wine from a standout year for Syrah in the Russian River. A significant early fall flash storm hit the region on October 13th, just after the Pinot and Chardonnay harvests finished, which brought 5 inches of rain to this vineyard. As the fruit was not ready to harvest, we had no option but to close our eyes, hunker down and see what would transpire. The thick skins and loose clusters in the vineyard rose to the challenge and didn’t bat an eyelid. Once the storm passed and the soils dried out, the sun returned for an extended twelve day period and we were able to bring in the fruit on the 27th of October in excellent uncompromised condition. The resulting wine is as dramatic as the storm itself, combining piercing aromatic intensity with stunning purity of fruit and powerful small berry structure. It grabs you by the senses and demands your full attention, coating the palate and leaving a haunting aromatic presence long after the final sip. It’s a multi-dimensional penetrating wine with long aging potential and really cries out for some herb roasted lamb. Like many of our 2009 wines, it’s the array of non-fruit tones that really heighten the intrigue: mint sauce, tar, menthol, dusty earth, sweet cedar, pepper and spice. Another wine to follow closely as it ages.

Saturated purple color; multi-layered aromas, smoky blue and black fruits, graphite, violet, thyme, black pepper, soy sauce and a late arriving smoked meat note. Immediate deep cassis fruit profile on the palate, tobacco, pepper, soy, cocoa and rosewater nuances. Great floral inner mouth perfume. Stony mineral infused finish with more graphite and solid hillside tannin profile. Cellar for at least two years and decant before serving. Drink between 2014 and 2024.

Andy Smith Viticulturist, Winemaker & Partner