2002 SYRAH “RANCHO ARROYO GRANDE”

This wine is 100% Syrah from the Rancho Arroyo Grande Vineyard in the upper part of the Arroyo Grande Valley in southern San Luis Obispo County.  I had used 20% Mourvèdre in the 2001, but that didn’t work in 2002 because the Mourvèdre did not ripen properly.

2002 was a warm and generous vintage and this wine certainly reflects that.  This is a riper, juicier wine than the 2001 and in many ways already more drinkable.

Grapes for this wine were harvested on October 10.  They were de-stemmed, fermented in small open top fermenters and punched down manually twice a day.  It was aged 16 months in French oak barrels.  I selected 5 barrels for this bottling, one of which was a new François Frères.

The aromas of this wine are full of berries and fresh herbs, mint rosemary and hints of lavender.  It is juicy and full in the mouth with soft tannins and rounded acidity.  Upon release this is the most forward and drinkable of the 2002 single vineyard selections. 

118 cases were bottled without fining or filtration in February 2004.