2004 MEADOR ESTATE "MAVERICK" SYRAH

This wine is an “artisan” wine in all its ramifications. As such, by necessity, it is extremely limited in supply.

The combination of twenty-four year old vines (the oldest by a decade in Monterey County) grown on their own roots ancient style, rock and gravel terroir, over twenty years experience with the grapes and our old-world winemaking techniques have yielded this remarkable concentrated lush wine. For the finest wines, old grapevines are highly prized, as old vines seem to give a much wider range of complexities than young vines. The winegrower must have knowledge of the end goal, i.e., the desired wine style or potential. This is an easy variety to grow “tonnage” of red grapes. It requires expertise to grow “Syrah” wine of superior merit.

Fermentation takes place in 6 ton vats in which we hand punch several times a day. The fermented wine is then transferred to a combination of American and French oak for barrel aging. Syrah wine is fruit driven. At least from us it is. Our cold climate and Ventana’s rocks (not “soil” – rocks, gravel, and sand!) married to the Syrah vine (No rootstocks – ours are direct producers – on their own roots in the ancient way) result in forward, lush fruit effects of blueberries, blackberries and cassis (concentrated black currants). Additionally, there are strong over tones of black pepper, some rose, some violet and sometimes a light touch of “tar”. The oak is subliminal but seems to be the wedding bond integrating it all.