Syrah
Calypso Vineyard, 2014

Winemaker's Notes

Renaissance man is the first and probably best description of Otis Holt, mastermind of this vineyard. It began as a Bordeaux blend site, with Gary Farrell Winery bottling a wonderful wine from the grapes that Otis did not use for his own, delicious home wine. In the mid 2000’s due to market shifts and winery ownership changes we met and decided together to pursue Syrah as a vehicle to express this unusual and gifted site.

How can a wine made so simply be so complex? When the grapes are a complex array of clones, rootstocks and trellis systems (dozens of separate blocks on a three-acre site) and have intrinsic multi-layered character it follows that the wine will be so as well. Equally successful with salmon, 5-spice moussaka, grilled antelope, flour tortillas, this style allows the grape perfumes to resonate without being buried in tannin or new barrels. I remember doing a winemaker dinner in Georgia with the 2008 vintage from this site. The chef paired it with miso-infused butterfish. It was like a white wine pairing where the tannin disappeared, and the perfumes and acidity were what were in the forefront. That validates the depth of what this vineyard has to offer. Not all sites produce Syrah that has such equal facility with such a wide range of foods.

Seamless, layered, beguiling in ways like a dance of the 7 veils, it reveals more facets and layers as it drinks in air after being poured into the glass. But don’t lose your head. By day 3 it shows a lot like a 1980’s Verset Cornas at a similar youthful age. Meaty, earthy savory elements are perfectly grafted to the lanolin, violet, black pepper it shows more directly upon initial opening.