2018 Kalen's Big Boy Blend

Syrah

SONOMA COUNTY

ALLOCATION LIST: $43.20
RETAIL: $48.00

Wow, 2018 Kalen’s Syrah is one for the ages! The Big Boy remains our standard bearer for the fuller side of the grape and this vintage in particular manages to capture remarkable depth and intensity while retaining wonderful verve and vitality.

A blend of fermentations from Steiner vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, Atoosa’s vineyard in the Russian River Valley, plus a splash of Las Madres from Carneros, each component was raised entirely in puncheon.

As usual, Kalen’s is very much a fruit-centered bottling with spice and bramble accents playing smaller yet important roles as they fold into the finish. This 2018 provides loads of up front Bing and black cherry, blackberries and ripe plums alongside hints of pepper and dried wild herbs. Add to that the bacon fat and meaty goodness just under the surface and you have a complete and very serious Syrah experience.

Our 2006 Kalen’s is still tasting fantastic, ‘08 and ’09 continue to display a bit of youthful exuberance after more than a decade, and 2012 is only now beginning to tell its full story. While often wonderful a year or two after release, these wines are built to go the distance. 2018 is a stunning and stellar example that we look forward to drinking beginning sometime around mid 2022 and then for the next 10-20 years after that!

DRINKING WINDOWS

Prime drinking: 2021 through 2029
Graceful ageability: 2030+

VINEYARDS

51% Steiner, 49% Atoosa's

CLONES

51% Alban 1, 25% 877, 24% 470

STATS

pH: 3.71 |  TA: 6.2 | Alcohol: 14.5%
Bottling: March 5, 2020 | Release: Fall 2020
Cases Produced: 100

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