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What can you say about a wine that makes itself? These old-vine grapes were sourced from low-yield, head-pruned, organic vineyards that were first planted in 1948 in the McDowell Valley. This petite sirah has beautiful deep garnet color, aromas of smoke, ripe blackberries, and a whiff of black pepper. This rustic but polished wine has pronounced mouth-coating tannins and depth that expand with aeration.

The grapes were harvested by hand, destemmed and gently fed into an open-top tank with about 50% whole berries. The must was a frosty 47 degrees. Native yeast fermentation began ten days later and was complete by October 14. Free-run juice was drained directly into Francois Freres, Allier barrels, 25% of which were new. Native malolactic fermentation was complete by the end of February. The wine was racked just three weeks prior to bottling. We bottled unfiltered on August 20, 20

The 25- to 40-year-old, lower yield organically farmed vineyards produce intense fruit with excellent varietal character. The palate reveals pronounced citrus, white peach, key lime and ripe quince flavors, balanced by a crisp, dry acidity. This intense mouth-feel is enhanced by the extended lees aging and batonnage. The classic aromas of lime, grapefruit and wet river stone recall a Loire-style sauvignon blanc. This wine is a laser beam on the palate!

This classic syrah has black fruited, roasted grain aromatics with a hint of floral essence. The palate shows good extraction, polished tannins, and serious depth. The wine emphasizes balance and proportion rather than brawn and over-ripeness.