Fall Release Hoppe-Kelly Vineyard Eddie's Patch Syrah
2005

Winemaker’s Notes

Our 2005 Eddie's Patch most closely resembles the inaugural 2000 bottling, my personal and sentimental favorite. From a similarly cool and unsettled growing season, the new wine features a leaner, more European physique than the 2001 through 2004 vintages and offers excellent long term cellaring potential. The rain-induced stop/start nature of the 2005 spring, delayed bloom and caused an explosion of plant vigor, which even this steep hillside vineyard did not escape. Early summer rains delayed cluster development and ultimately pushed harvest back well into mid-October. Cluster uniformity throughout the terraced hillside was uneven and a prolonged veraison color-change period saw these differences multiply. Aggressive bunch thinning was critical to tighten the window of maturity and ensure the fruit ripened evenly at harvest eight weeks later. These cool conditions translated to an edgier, tautly structured wine that features a mix of black and red fruits and prominent lingering acidity. There remains plenty of trademark sweet cassis fruit and meaty density, but this year's rendition is compacted into a slightly less-outrageous, tighter frame. The upside of this European styling is the longevity I anticipate the wine will show in bottle. It has development potential of greater than a decade. Additionally wines in this style often take on a soil-character with age that can ultimately be more rewarding than pure fruit opulence alone.

Purple/black color. Complex aromatics of camphor, dried herbs and sweet cassis mix with brighter notes of cola and spicy red licorice. The palate is immediately dense and brooding with roasted meat and inky blackberry flavors that offset youthfully strident tannins and bold acidity. The finish is long and penetrating with a smoky/spicy back end. Cellar for at least two years and decant for a minimum of two hours. This is a food wine to be enjoyed with hearty dishes.

Andy Smith