2004 Silver Pines Vineyards Syrah

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Tasting Notes
Wow! Intense color once again dominates first impressions. The nose, marvelous fruit with some characteristics of the volcanic soil from which it comes, quickly takes over to prepare you for the front end Syrah fruit taste that spreads to a mid-palate extravaganza. The acidity balance is near perfect for the complexity of the tannins and the alcohol is carried without notice. The finish, as you have come to expect from our winemakers, is a delight; lingering fruit for an incredible length with all of the complexity of the mid-palate slowly decreasing. Never a hint of any off flavor throughout the experience. A real tribute to the intensity of the farming required to produce these grapes (and to Dennis Nunez, our vineyard manager) and to the care and attention given throughout the winemaking process.

Winemaking Notes
9.9 tons harvested on September 25, 2004. Two hogs-heads of juice sent to Vin Gris with the remainder fermented in 4 lots using a variety of oak barrels and several yeast cultures. The initial fermentation progressed without incident and the wine was dry in about four weeks. The secondary fermentation followed much more easily than with the 2003 and also completed without incident. This wine almost made itself. This year, David Vergari joined us to help Greg who has had to focus most of his energy on his new position at DeLoach and the combination has worked very well. As we tasted this wine with each racking, it became clear we had a special wine developing. Retaining the intense nose and color of the 2003, there is a complexity and structure even more appealing than the prior year. So, we just sort of sat back and let it make itself. About a week prior to bottling, we did a very light fining with egg white and that was that. Bottled on April 7, 2006, 425 cases were produced . For the first time, production includes 24 very special etched 3 liter bottles.