2005 Estate Syrah
NOW ON SALE~$216 A CASE
WHILE SUPPLY LASTS
2005 Estate Syrah-Winemaker notes
Our exciting discovery of the extraordinary quality of Paso Robles red wines evolved into planting Terra Bella Vineyard, our high elevation Syrah and Grenache vineyard on Paso’s cool Westside. At this site in the Adelaida region, significant limestone and shale, deposited from previous coastal eras, intermingle with clay/loam soils to provide an ideal growing medium for our vines. Warm, sunny days, tempered by cool afternoon breezes from the nearby Pacific Coast, along with chilly evening summer temperatures, allow our vines to achieve remarkable ripeness, with balanced acidity, rich color and dynamic flavor intensity in the fruit.
Hand tending and harvesting of our well-exposed vineyard blocks is essential, given the steep slopes of the plantings at Terra Bella. The crop is thinned to hang only what the vines can readily ripen to perfection, as we severely sort to allow only those shoots carrying a limited quantity of fruit. Solar exposure to both the foliage and the fruit clusters is maximized by careful canopy management, with vertical catch-wire trellising and manual leaf removal in the fruit zone.
At harvest, the fresh picked fruit is delivered to the winery in small bins, destemmed without significant crushing, then cold-soaked to extract soft, supple tannins from the skins. Fermentation takes place in small 1-ton punch-down vats, where temperatures are controlled to achieve ideal color intensity and flavor development in the new wine. Gentle pressing at dryness is followed by immediate barreling in a mix of 70% French and 30% American oak, of which 40% is new wood.
Slow development in top-quality cooperage ensures that Terra Bella Syrah evolves gracefully during the aging process. Following a 2-year cellaring program, the Syrah is judiciously blended and bottled.
Showing rich flavors of smoky black fruit, Terra Bella Syrah is a supple and intense Rhone-style wine. Deeply pigmented, the rich color is an indication of superb fruit ripeness and long hang-time in the vineyard. The wine’s aromas show full intensity of character, while on the palate, a unique black-pepper note, gamy fruit tones and a hint of bacon-fat evolve as the wine develops in glass. The wine lingers long and powerful, but with an elegant, graceful finish.
Try Terra Bella Syrah with wood grilled sirloin steaks, roasted rack of lamb or your favorite red pasta dish. You’ll find our premier release of Terra Bella Syrah to be a perfect partner at the table with fine food and great friends. Limited in quantity, this lovely Paso Robles Syrah will age well in bottle for several years to come.
Cost: $ 18.00 each, $ 216.00 per case of 12
Ratings for all vintages of this wine