Our final release from the 2016 vintage is well worth the wait! Did we save the best for last? Perhaps. Trigger warning: Diatribe/appeal commencing below!
First, we need to talk for a minute about how great the Syrah grape is, especially when sourced from cooler-climate sites, even more so when said sites are well chosen, planted to excellent clones and meticulously tended. Cheap, bottom-shelf Syrah likely blew it for a lot of you, and syrupy, high-end Syrah may well have ruined it for many more of you. Understood.
But here’s the thing: Great Syrah is freakin’ great wine! Everyone rightfully talks about how site-specific pinot noir is; well guess what? Syrah is totally the same in this regard. Case in point: Las Madres Vineyard. You saw this coming, didn’t you? Las Madres is cool climate, planted to excellent, characterful clones and farmed with pride. Roughly 12 wineries buy their grapes and bottle their own versions. Sit down and taste them side by side and this vineyard’s personality shines through in every wine.
We ferment ours on the skins and stems with a bit of Viognier for killer aromatics and silky texture, leave it on the skins post fermentation for more supple tannins, and raise it in older used oak to preserve that wonderful Las Madres black olive/black fruit/pepper character. Man is it good, and the stellar 2016 vintage shines bright like the superstar that it is. There’s so much going on in the glass, it’s hard to convey in words. We always love an underdog, so let’s all raise a glass to great Syrah!
DRINKING WINDOWS
Prime drinking: Late 2019 through 2027 Graceful ageability: 2029+
VINEYARDS
100% Las Madres
CLONES
48% 174, 49% 300, 3% Viognier
STATS
pH: 3.95 | TA: 5.3g/L | Alcohol: 14.2 % Bottling: March 3, 2018 | Release: Spring 2019 Cases Produced: 151
Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Join EK Allocation List
CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS
You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–12 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines will have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above. Join EK Allocation List
REORDERS
Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.
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