Silver Medal - 2007 El Dorado County Fair
Winemaker’s Notes:
Most of the grapes used for this wine came from a hillside vineyard owned by Oakmont Vineyards. We harvested when the fruit was completely ripe. The grapes were hand sorted and gently crushed. The fermentation was delayed for two days by keeping the must cold under 60 degrees F. We used our Submerged Cap Fermentation Tank that keeps the berries submerged throughout the fermentation for better flavor extraction and softer tannins.
This wine exemplifies the style of wine that I like to create. It has a deep color and a classic Syrah aroma of green & black peppercorn combined with a woodsy and pine character. It has 4 flavor components: the fruit is a strong jammie cassis; the oak is of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; the savory component is of grilled meat, especially in the first sip; and the finish leads to black pepper and back to cassis.
Varietal Content:
85.0% Syrah, Sierra Foothills
10.0% Mouvedre
5.0% Petite Sirah
Bottling Date: November 29, 2005
Cases Produced: 715
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.5
Residual sugar: less than 0.1%