Amapola Creek
2006 Syrah

The Vineyard

Our Syrah is organically grown on a small parcel of land located 900 feet above Sonoma Valley on a sun-washed western slope of the Mayacamas range. Bobcat Run takes its name from a large feline denizen who treats us to an occasional sighting. This block is part of our 120-acre ranch, which borders and shares red, iron-oxide volcanic soils with our neighbor, the highly acclaimed Monte Rosso Vineyard, source of superb wines for well over a century. A site ideally suited for growing Syrah, Bobcat Run lies in a fairly cool hollow open to the southwest, and its rows run east/west for good sun and warmth without excessive exposure.

Vintage

After a cool, wet spring that delayed bud break, the 2006 vintage set a good crop before late May brought more rainfall. Moderate June weather gave way to a July heat spell that included a 116°F. spike on the 16th. Then the vintage settled down and we had smooth sailing. Phil Coturri, Sonoma Valley’s leading organic viticulturist, carefully hand-thinned clusters to make the crop proportional to the vigor of each vine. We hand-harvested our Syrah on September 28th. Despite a questionable start, the vintage proved to be exceptional, yielding complex, balanced, thoroughly ripe fruit.

Wine

Painstaking organic farming and finely-tuned crop levels on our estate vines gave us wonderful Syrah of great depth and intensity without sacrificing elegance or focus. The wine was pumped over gently in traditional Rhone fashion and put in 50% new Ermitage barrels with the balance in seasoned French oak cooperage. Dark and dense, this Syrah shows abundant mouthwatering aromas of black plum, black cherry, smoked deli meats and peppercorns. On the palate, the wine is deeply flavored with succulent red and black cherry fruit, meaty and spicy nuances and polished tannins throughout a persistent finish.

This wine is unfined and unfiltered. Drink now or hold for 10-plus years.

$40.00 per bottle

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