2006 Syrah, White Hawk Vineyard

Santa Barbara County

Once again in 2006, we were fortunate to be able to work with the wonderfully rich, ripe, structured fruit from White Hawk Vineyard in Los Alamos (Santa Barbara County). Grown on the sandy slopes just east of highway 101, this wine exemplifies the adaptable nature of the Syrah grape, reflecting the conditions it is grown in almost better than any other varietal. This is one reason we love to make several different Syrahs from different regions.

This wine exhibits a beautiful dark reddish purple hue, though slightly lighter in comparison to our 2005 version. We blended about 1.5% Viognier, 2% Mourvedre and about 1% Petite Sirah into the final assembly of this wine, which we think adds just the right depth, aromatics, and structure to make this a very special bottling.

The nose offers intoxicatingly rich floral scents of marionberry, blueberry, and crème brulée, with a subtle hint of espresso bean and black pepper. Upon taking a sip, you'll immediately be struck by the mouth-filling rich dark berry flavors framed by a hint of white pepper, and a finish that lingers in the back of the mouth for over one minute. Unlike too many Syrahs produced today that go overboard in viscosity and weight, this wine still has some lively acidity to keep the taste buds stimulated and renders a discernible, but not unpleasant fine-grained tannic grip, allowing this wine to pair well with a variety of foods. I love this wine with marinated lamb kebabs or with medallions of venison tenderloin in a rich berry/cherry reduction, but it could also nicely complement a dessert assortment of rich gooey cheeses and bitter dark chocolates. This wine is enjoyable now with decanting and plenty of aeration, but will continue to drink well for 10 – 15 years.