Syrah
Calypso Vineyard, 2013

$ 60.00

My favorite syrahs tend to come from sites where the grapes may not be able to ripen to the same degree every vintage. Calypso Vineyard, perched in a slightly warmer, higher site inside this very cool area, is one of those. It is farmed practically single–handedly by owner Otis Holt, and is truly a labor of love.

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Winemaker's Notes

The 2013 Calypso Syrah follows the compelling 2012 vintage very well. It possesses a somewhat more profound depth and structure, mirroring the differences in our Scherrer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vintages. While Syrahs in this style are somewhat reticent in the very early days following bottling, this will very much reward long-term aging. I have seen this since my first experiences vinifying Syrah in the early 1990’s. I currently enjoy this young wine over several days’ exposure to air in an opened, re-corked bottle without protection from air exposure because it allows the wine to relax its modest grip on mid palate flavors a bit. These kinds of wine have significant legs.

Notes on day two of an opened bottle: With a lovely texture, it marries earthy, floral, fruity, meaty, the best part of ‘tarry’, and herbal notes like no other single variety I have seen yet on its own. On the palate there is an echoing of these aromas and a tremendous floral length. One of the things I love about Syrah is that it is complete without any influence of new oak barrels in the mix. You can use them. But the wine really doesn’t need them. I really should be better at explaining how special I think this site and vintage is.