Estate grown, Ibarra-Young Vineyard, Los Olivos District AVA
The Syrah is part of the original planting at Ibarra-Young Vineyard, planted in 1971. It is own-rooted, it’s been farmed organically since 1993, and it’s possibly my favorite block-it certainly is the soul of the property! This Syrah block is located on a sandy loam slope in the most fertile section of the vineyard. These vines produce tight and dense clusters averaging the size of your palm. When they are ripe, the cluster’s dainty golden stems pop off with a small tug - you don’t even need sheers to harvest!
The Syrah was harvested in three picks in order to gain depth, acidity, and layers of different tannin structures in the final wine. The first pick was harvested around 20.5B. The second pick was harvested a few days later, and the third a few days after that. All of the picks were fermented 100% whole cluster, solely in open top barrels this year. My goal was to create a cooler ferment to retain some extra ‘crunch factor,’ but instead I got a little more structure, and probably the biggest Syrah I’ve made from Ibarra Young. I certainly think the vintage played into this too. The three lots were blended about a month before being bottled unfined and unfiltered in June of 2023
Tasting notes: The friend you never want to go home. Caring, funny, inquisitive, genuine. Ripe red fruits, subtle violets, some girth, some grip, this wine will age and cellar exceptionally well.
Art: Lepus californicus, the black-tailed jackrabbit, running through a patch of morning glory was painted by my mother, Eileen Anderson. The black-tailed jackrabbit thrives in our no-till vineyard. They are primarily nocturnal and feed on the vegetation and grasses throughout the vines. They aren’t burrowing animals so they don’t harm the vineyard floor like a cottontail would. The morning glory can be a nuisance on the vineyard floor in wetter environments, but it is simply a splash of color and food for pollinators in our arid climate. The back label depicts a small branch of Quercus lobata, the valley oak tree. The old valley oak trees were here long before these vine rows and continue to provide a home and food for birds, bugs, bats, and small mammals that thrive alongside our vines. They also provide a substantial amount of shade in the hot summer days. We love these oaks just as much as our old vines.
12.8% ABV
Ingredients: regenerative organic grapes managed holistically, minimal effective sulfites
121 cases produced