2006 SYRAH “BIEN NACIDO”

This wine is 100% Syrah from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley in the very northern reaches of Santa Barbara County. It comes from two distinct blocks at Bien Nacido: 54% from Block Eleven “Baja,” a hillside planted in 1997, and 46% from the X Block, planter to Riesling in 1973 – grafted to Syrah in 1986. The X Block is out oldest Syrah block at Bien Nacido and is now being farmed using biodynamic practices.

Unbelievably, this is our 20^th vintage of Bien Nacido Syrah (1987 being our first… from those grafted vines at X Block). 2006 is also our 25^th vintage of making wine and making Syrah, 1982 was our first.  If I had been more on the marketing ball we should have done a commemorative label! Luckily, the quality of this vintage supports its auspicious existence. 

2006 was a very cool vintage and we harvested the various lots of Syrah from Baja and X Blocks between October 24^th and November 1^st. The grapes were absolutely perfect.  Lignification in the stems allowed us to keep between 22% and 50% whole clusters in the X Block lots. All lots were fermented in small open top fermenters with manual punch downs done twice a day. Pressed at dryness, settled for a couple days, and then put to barrel. Aging was done in all French oak with about 25% new oak using a combination of François Frères and Ermitage barrels. It was aged between 13 and 15 months in barrel.

I generally consider 2005 to be one of our best vintages. Syrah at Bien Nacido was as good, if not better, in 2006. The cool vintage yielded a very fragrant and spicy Syrah with lots of black and white pepper, lavender and deep berry fruit. This wine has plenty of depth and body but with a sleek, crisp mouthfeel that makes you keep wanting more.