Monticello Vineyards
2006 Monticello Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah
-
Print: Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes:
Our Vintage 2006 MONTICELLO VINEYARDS Estate Grown Syrah starts out with an impressive peppery aroma, which opens up to spicy, gamy, plum sauce and brambly-berry aromas. There are nice hints of sweet vanilla and mocha coming from the oak. It is deep ruby in color, which is typical for our Syrah. The wine itself is very full in body, and the spicy component carries over to the flavors, which are full of dark berry fruits with dark chocolate undercurrents. The finish is long, and the medium-strength tannins frame this voluptuous wine wonderfully.
Vineyard:
Knollwood Vineyard - Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District
Our Syrah plantings at our Knollwood Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley is planted to Clones #174 and #470. These are ENTAV Clones and they are produce grapes that yield full-bodied, deeply colored wines. Both clones are considered to provide lower relative yields, and are considered to have smaller cluster weights as they relate to other syrah clones.
Vinification:
This is our third varietal-bottled Syrah. As we were so pleased with our first two vintages, we have continued our program of bottling a 100% Syrah.
The wine is composed of two clones of Syrah – Clones 174 and 470. As with the 2004 & 2005, the clones are represented equally in this vintage. While I’ve noticed some subtle aromatic and textural differences between the clones over the last several years, I’ve also found that they complement each other beautifully. When they ripen at the same time, as they did in 2005 & 2006, I ferment them together in the same vessel.
We picked our 2006 Syrah about a week later than we picked in 2005. I mention this because one of the hallmarks of the 2005 vintage was that it was a long cool growing season. For our 2006 season, it was even longer, so the fruit component in the wine is very rich yet also well balanced because 2006 was relatively cool as well.
In crafting our Monticello Estate Grown Syrah I’m aiming for a fruit driven wine with medium tannins and just a hint of new oak. I expect this wine to drink well in its youth, and encourage people to drink it now through 2012.
As was the 2004, the clones are represented equally in this vintage. While I’ve noticed some subtle aromatic and textural differences between the clone over the last several years, I’ve also found that they complement each other beautifully. When they ripen at the same time, as they did in 2005, I ferment them together in the same vessel.
What I’m aiming for in crafting our Monticello Estate Grown Syrah is a fruit driven wine with medium tannins and just a hint of new oak. I expect this wine to drink well in its youth, and encourage people to drink it now through 2011.