2002 Syrah, Napa Valley
Vineyard
This is our first Napa Valley wine and it was a lot of fun. The wine is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Syrah was from a vineyard in Yountville and the Cabernet Sauvignon was from the Rutherford area. Both are great, impeccably-farmed vineyards. We only made 4 barrels of this wine so we treat it like gold.
Winemaking
As with all Saxon Brown wines, I really wanted this Syrah to be an expression of the site. Given that the wine is a blend of two varietals from two different vineyards it was challenging and fun to capture the site signatures in such a small production wine (95 cases). Both wines were kept separate for the first year, aging in new and one year old French oak barrels. After the first year the wines were blended and put back to the same barrels. The total time in barrels was 26 months.
Tasting Notes
Great intense color. The nose is as concentrated as a red wine can be, lots of dark rich fruit and amazing chocolate / mocha and lavender tones. On the palate this wine is almost thick with elegant tannins and a long finish. Please try to uncork about 30 minutes or so before serving to allow the wine to open —the effort will be well worth it.
Case Production: 95
Retail Price: $40/Bottle