2007 Lamorinda Syrah, Contra Costa County

This wine is a testament to our conviction that Lamorinda is a great place to grow Rhone varietal grapes, especially Syrah. The fruit for our 2007 Lamorinda Syrah comes from two Moraga vineyards: Magalhaes Vineyard and Nazeri Vineyard – both small but beautiful and impeccably managed. Though clearly the lightest of the 4 Syrahs we bottled from the 2007 vintage (both in color and weight), the wine presents a gorgeous violet color with lavender around the rim. A classic 'Northern Rhone'-styled Syrah (the St. Joseph appellation comes to mind), the nose starts with notes of smoke and cured sweet bacon, but evolves in the glass to show appealing layers of blueberry and olallieberry jam. The mouthfeel is soft and supple, with enough acidity to avoid unctuousness. The flavors are dominated by blackberry and blueberry, with a touch of umami, but without the menthol/eucalyptus that was evident in our 2006 version of this wine. The finish is smooth and pleasant with just a hint of fine-grained tannins to add to the wine's versatility with food pairings.

A beautiful accompaniment to grilled, marinated lamb tenderloins finished with a blueberry compote/black peppercorn reduction and smothered with sautéed mushrooms. Drinking beautifully now, but will age gracefully for 5-7 years.