HARVEST & WINEMAKING

These grapes are from French clone 877 grown in the Stagecoach Vineyards in the eastern hills above Napa Valley. The vineyard is on a rocky, red, steep slope that faces southwest for maximum sun exposure. The Syrah was picked October 26 at 25.0 Brix. The fruit was hand sorted and underwent a two-day cold soak before being inoculated with a Côte Rôtie (Rhône) yeast strain. A portion of the fruit was fermented whole cluster, and some was left on the skins for extended maceration. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged for 19 months in barrel before bottling May 2013. The wine rested in our cellars until its release in January 2014.