2004 Reynoso Vineyards Syrah

Family-owned Reynoso Vineyards is a 550 acre estate located in the Alexander Valley.  The estate was originally purchased in 1994, and since that time grapes have been sold to several of Sonoma’s finest wine producers.  We are currently farming 155 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.  Only a small percentage of the finest grapes on the estate are used for Reynoso Vineyard wines.

The fruit for this wine was harvested from a 5 acre vineyard parcel with gently rolling terrain 200 feet above the Russian River.  Planted in 1998 in challenging soils on a hillside with a SSW aspect, the vineyard faces many challenges during the growing season.  This block requires a specially designed fertilizing, irrigating, and leaf-pulling regimen to keep the vines in optimal health for growing perfect syrah.  All work is done by hand: from leaf-pulling and green drop, to harvesting into half-ton bins.

Once the growing season is over, the fruit is gently crushed into half ton bins, where they undergo a 48 hour cold soak, and then fermentation, with 5 punch-downs per day by hand.  Once the primary fermentation is complete, we pump the juice into French barrels, where they finish secondary fermentation.  The wine displays flavors of dark berry, roasted spice, with a hint of roasted meat.

Our Syrah is rather atypical for California. Syrah has been grown and produced for centuries on the “Roasted Slopes” of the Northern Rhone Valley. The highly sought after wines from Cote Rotie and Hermitage are typically muscular, tannic, and tightly-wound when released. Syrah from California and Australia (sometimes called “Shiraz”) are typically soft and jammy, and ready to drink up after bottling. Given the intensity of the hillside fruit at Reynoso Vineyards, we’ve chosen to model our Syrah on our favorite wines from the northern Rhone. Our Syrah is brawny and packed with more traditional Northern Rhone flavors of black fruits, roasted meat, herbs, bacon fat, and coffee. It pairs wonderfully with any grilled meat, especially lamb, as well as gamebirds like duck.  Because of its density and complexity, the wine would benefit from an hour of breathing time, and can be aged for 5 – 10  years.

Proprietors Joe and Elena Reynoso are committed to producing small lots of estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.  Our goal is to craft fruit-driven wines that display distinctive varietal character and intensity without sacrificing elegance and their own element of terroir.  We are earnest about producing great wines from our vineyards, and above all, wines that family and friends can enjoy for years to come.