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Tasting Notes
Tasting Note
The Sterling Vineyards Syrah is a brooding, inky-purple in the glass with layers of blackberry and blueberry aromas. The depth of flavor is complex with ripe currants and baked black cherry pie working in tandem with savory notes of fresh thyme, pencil lead and white pepper. The wine offers beautiful structure with lush texture and good body without overpowering tannins. This is a true reflection of the Calistoga region; purity of fruit, excellent balance and ripe, soft, tannins.
Technical Information
| Varietal | Syrah |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 95% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah |
| Oak Treatment | French (75%), American (19%), and Hungarian (6%) 16 Months |
| Alcohol % | 14.9% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
| Case Production | 430 cases |
| pH | 4.06 |
Winemaking
Winemaking
The Syrah grapes were hand harvested in the cool of early morning and transported to the winery, followed by a pre-fermentation cold soak for gentle extraction of the delicate varietal nuances. Syrah is inherently spicy with a robust tannin structure - we chose to age the wine in a combination of French (75%), American (19%), and Hungarian (6%) oak barrels for 16 months to capture these qualities and showcase the pure fruit character. Only 430 cases were made.
Harry Hansen - Winemaker
Director of Winemaking Harry Hansen was raised in nearby Sonoma County. “One of my earliest memories of wine was the gallon jug of red wine that we always had at home. I would go with my father to a local winery, maybe in Kenwood or Healdsburg, to refill that jug and chit-chat with the winery proprietors. The aromas of those wines were always something attractive, somehow mysterious, but always memorable.”
Harry joined Sterling Vineyards and relocated to Napa Valley just before the 2011 Harvest. “The opportunity to join such a respected Napa Valley winery is exciting and a fantastic next step in my winemaking career. Sterling Vineyards is making some wonderful wines, and I look forward to taking that next step up in quality and reputation.”
Vintage
Vintage
The relatively even 2016 growing season followed welcome winter rains that eased California’s ongoing drought and gave vines plenty of moisture to pull from throughout the season. With no frost during bloom nor heat spikes during the summer, harvest was received with relative ease. The ripening season enjoyed cooler than average daytime highs with plenty of sunshine so fruit had lengthy hangtime and developed very good color and flavor concentration. The region’s typical area cold nights enabled the fruit to maintain excellent acidity.
Vineyard
Calistoga AVA
Vineyard
The Syrah fruit for this wine comes exclusively from the BV Ranch #12 in Calistoga, situated at the very northern tip of the Napa Valley. The area experiences strong diurnal temperature swings, with very hot days and nights cooled by fog from the Russian River Valley that funnels through the Chalk Hill gap. The BV Ranch #12 vineyard, with its warm mesoclimate and lean, well-drained soils, produces dark, deeply flavored fruit with beautiful mocha and spice rack character.
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To create a better experience for you across all of our brands, we’ll check this info with accounts across the Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio of brands: Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Etude, Hewitt Vineyard, Stags' Leap, Sterling, Penfolds, and TheWineShop.
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