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2006 Santa Barbara County Syrah
From White Hawk Vineyard, a Santa Barbara vineyard born to produce world-class Syrah, the grapes, harvested mid-October, had good hang-time on their journey to lush ripeness. After an eleven day fermentation, the wine spent 20 months in 50% new French oak and was bottled on June 18, 2008. The wine is drinkable now, but should develop in bottle over the next two to four years. This wine embodies the character of Santa Barbara County Syrah at its best.
Wine Profile
| Vintage: | 2006 |
| Harvest Date: | 11/2/2006 |
| Acid: | 6.1 g/L |
| PH: | 3.56 |
| Aging: | 18 months in 50% New French Oak barrels |
| Fermentation: | 11 days with a max temp. of 92°F |
| Bottling Date: | 6/18/2008 |
| Residual Sugar: | <0.2 g/100ml |
| Alcohol %: | 14.6% |
Tasting Notes
The wine's color shows deep dark red with a young purplish hue. A fleshy nose exhibits ripe plum and black cherry notes, with subtle toasty oak tones and an integrated spicy, black pepper core. The weighty entry shows off the depth that this vineyard can achieve and leads to a refined mid-palate that shows the finesse of this vintage. The fruit and wood tannins through the finish give the wine an anchor that firms up the length and demonstrates a focus that is impressive for such a young wine.
Vineyard Notes
White Hawk Vineyard sits on the southern facing slope of Cat Canyon some 21 miles from the Pacific and 2 miles north of the tiny town of Los Alamos. The marine influence causes cool, early morning fogs to envelop the site before giving way to bright sun. It's planted at an elevation of 900 feet on pure sands that immediately drain off water and nutrients forcing the vines to work extra-hard to survive. The Syrah has a strong core of acidity complemented by elements of meat and blackberries. White Hawk is custom-farmed using sustainable and primarily organic viticulture methods. The yields here are miniscule and the berries intense.
