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!