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2005
Vintageis the Current Release
2006
Vintage (September Release) is a Wine Future Offering
Current
Release:
The 2005 Verna’s Vineyard Syrah is intensely
flavored, warm, dark, chewy, chocolaty, fruitful wine –
a big hit in the tasting room. This is our second wine off the
Melville’s Rhone varietal ranch in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos.
This remains powerful, mineral-cherry-raspberry/briary flavored
stuff. A blend of Estrella, Clone 1, 877 and 174 clones grapes
yields balance and complexity. Made using five new French and
seven older French and American barrels. (160 cases produced)
• This is our second wine off the Melville’s Rhone
varietal ranch in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos.
• The steep hillside vineyard block is planted to Clone
1 Shiraz and Estrella clone 1 syrah. This block yields very
little fruit. Conversely, this block yields the most intense
fruit from the vineyard.
• The flatter vineyard block is planted to Clone 877 and
Clone 174 syrah. This fruit produces at higher yields, but surprisingly,
produces intense wine. We always marvel at how hard the berries
from this block are at harvest – they actually bounce!
• First picking from the hillside harvested October 11th
(Clone 1 25.5 brix and 3.5 pH, Estrella Clone 24.4 brix, 3.3
pH)
• Second and third picking harvested between Nov 4th and
7th (Clone 174, 24.2 brix, 3.3 pH) (Clone 877, 26.2 brix, 3.55
pH).
• The fruit was stemmed but not crushed. Intact, whole
berries were placed in small bin boxes for 14 days of fermentation
after a two-day cold soak.
• Inoculated with William-Selyem, D254, and RC 212 yeasts.
• This wine represents twelve choice barrels selected
out of a total lot of thirty-three.
• Of this, five were new French barrels and the rest were
older barrels, both French and American.
• Went through ML fermentation, completing in January.
• Racked in July, and again before bottling.
• Unfined and unfiltered
• 16 months barrel age.
• An incredibly powerful wine, big and bold. Will benefit
from aging.
• Bottled in April 2007.
Retail
Price $38.00
Wine
Future Offering (September 2008 Release):
The
2006 Verna’s Vineyard Syrah is chewy, dark, sweet
herb, intensely flavored, olive tampenade, chocolaty, fruitful
wine. This is our third wine off the Melville’s Rhone varietal
ranch in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos. This remains powerful, mineral-cherry-raspberry/briary
flavored stuff. A blend of Estrella, Clone 1, 877 and 174 clones
grapes yields balance and complexity. Made using two new French
and older French and American barrels. (216 cases produced)
• This is our third wine off the Melville’s Rhone
varietal ranch in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos. It is a cool,
windy site, within view of the more intense fog layers of Santa
Maria. It is an ideal growing site and meticulously farmed by
Brett Melville.
• The steep hillside vineyard block is planted to Clone
1 Shiraz and Estrella clone 1 syrah. This block yields very
little fruit. Conversely, this block yields the most intense
fruit from the vineyard.
• The flatter vineyard block is planted to Clone 877 and
Clone 174 syrah. This block produces at higher yields, but produces
surprisingly intense wine. We always marvel at how hard the
berries from this block are at harvest – they actually
bounce!
• First picking from the hillside harvested October 27th
(Clone 1 28.0 brix and 3.8 pH, Estrella Clone 27.0 brix, 3.7
pH) 1 TPA
• Second and third picking harvested between Nov 6th (Clone
174, 25.9 brix, 3.6 pH) (Clone 877, 26.4 brix, 3.5 pH). 2.9
TPA
• Hillside fruit was foot stomped and whole cluster fermented
for several days following a two day cold soak.
• Clones 877 and 174 fruit was stemmed but not crushed.
Intact, whole berries were placed in small bin boxes for 14
days of fermentation after a two-day cold soak.
• Inoculated with William-Selyem, D254, and RC 212 yeasts.
• This wine represents nine choice barrels selected out
of a total lot of twenty one.
• Of this, two were new French barrels and the rest were
older barrels, both French and American.
• Went through ML fermentation, completing in January.
• Racked in July, and again before bottling.
• Unfined and unfiltered
• 14 months barrel age.
• Bottled in March 2008.
Retail
Price $38.00
Verna's Vineyard is the Melville Family's Rhone varietal
ranch located off Cat Canyon Road near Los Alamos. Its steepest
hillsides are planted to Syrah and Viognier. We are lucky enough
to work with Estrella and Clone-1 Syrah fruit from these low yielding,
highly stressed blocks. Brent Melville treats the vines with care.
They face north west. They can feel the fog in Santa Maria. They
make great wine.
Food Pairing: This is a powerfully flavored wine which
works well with similarly flavorful food. Try dark sauces,
even some with dark fruit. Makes a great reduction sauce.
Try spiced or BBQ pork, lamb, or beef. Seared, spiced Ahi
is a favorite, as is smoked salmon. Slow roasted short ribs
in syrah reduction sauce!
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