2017 River Road Ranch Syrah, Russian River Valley
The 2017 harvest will be remembered as a near perfect vintage for most winegrowers. Spring rains meant that the vines had plenty of reserves to work with during bud break and the flowering seasons. The summer months were warm and mild creating ideal growing conditions. Things warmed up in September hastening the harvest season. All in all, while yields came in on par with previous years, quality across all varietals was outstanding.
Retail: $35
Winemaking
The 2017 Syrah is a blend of two French clone selections identified as 470 and 877. Both are considered high quality and originate from the northern Cote du Rhone region. The wine is made much like our Pinot Noir in that it is fermented with a large portion of whole berries in open top fermenters. The wine is hand plunged up to four times per day to allow for maximum extraction of flavor and color from the skins. The whole berries retain the deep dark blackberry fruit character that is so intense in this wine. In addition to Syrah, five percent Viognier is added to the mixture to lend a floral, aromatic component to the wine. This is a traditional winemaking technique of the Cote du Rhone.
Tasting Notes
The 2017 Trione Syrah is a wonderful example of this French inspired wine. The nose is floral with rose petal perfume and lilac blossoms. The texture and flavors are rich with layer upon layer of plum, blueberry, and blackberry preserves.
