2006 Ramal Vineyard Syrah

As we celebrate our 150th year as California’s first premium winery, the focus of Buena Vista Carneros continues to turn to our remarkable 564-acre Ramal Vineyard in the heart of Carneros. Set along a south-facing hillside overlooking the San Pablo Bay, this breathtaking property has more than 167 blocks delineated by geology and topography. Produced in limited quantities, each Ramal Vineyard wine reflects the complex interplay between grape, terroir and the seasonal weather patterns of vintage.

Vintage

The 2006 vintage saw budbreak in early March, followed by a cool wet spring. With water in the soil came vigorous vine growth early in the season requiring diligent canopy management. The summer was good for vine growth with one short hot spell, and warm days. Most of August and September were slightly cooler than normal giving very nice ripening conditions and a slight delay in the start of our harvest of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Carneros. October continued cooler than normal and allowed Syrah and Merlot to mature slowly.

Winemaking

After harvest the grapes were hand sorted and de-stemmed, then transferred to stainless steel tanks for a 5-day cold soak prior to fermentation.  Fermentation took place in small open-top fermentors with three punch downs per day plus daily delestage (drain and return) to broaden the texture and complexity of the wine.  After fermentation, the wine was matured 14 months in new French oak barrels (40%) and previously used French and Hungarian oak barrels before blending and bottling in February of 2007.

Tasting Notes

The 2006 Ramal Vineyard Syrah is very complex and an elegant expression of cool climate Syrah in which the gamey side of Syrah is balanced by fresh fruit flavors and a food-friendly level of acidity.  The aromas are deep and layered, with notes of boysenberry and blackberry, bacon fat, smoked meat, chocolate covered cherry, spice and licorice.  The wine exhibits rich flavors of plum and black cherry, white pepper, with a rich mid palate that leads to a long finish.  Enjoy with filet mignon or beef tenderloin, and savory wild mushroom soup.

Past Vintages

2005 Ramal Vineyard Syrah
2004 EVS Syrah - Ramal Vineyard Estate
2003 EVS Syrah - Ramal Vineyard Estate