R&B Cellars

Vineyards:
We have found over the years that oftentimes the best blend of a certain varietal will be better with a mix of regions, and also that blending can add significantly to the complexity of the final wine. This superb wine is a combination of three excellent regions of California, each bringing its own distinct characteristic to the blend.

The Wine:
In order to create a wine with richness and complexity yet still fruit driven and varietally accurate, we blended 2009 North Coast Syrah with 2009 Sonoma Syrah, and just a touch of 2010 North Coast Sauvignon Blanc. The combination of these three areas yielded a wine with exceptional varietal character and flavor. The oak program on the three wines was very different; the North Coast Syrahs receiving modest oak ageing, the Sauvignon Blanc no oak ageing at all. The wine was cross flow filtered to help level out the tannins and making the wine eminently drinkable upon release.

Winemaker's Comments:
The vibrant fresh blackberry fruit from the Mendocino fruit combine with the dark, spicy components of the Lake County fruit, complimenting each other and setting up a rich massive fruit platform which we softened ever so slightly by the addition of Sauvignon Blanc. While adding a small percentage of white wine, usually Viognier, is a common French practice to soften the mouth feel and make the wine a little more approachable upon release, we have chosen a slight twist by adding some of our Sauvginon Blanc instead. The resulting wine is complex, intense, and a blockbuster of blackberry fruit and blueberries, with exotic spice and the subtle tarry components one expects of a great Syrah. The moderate oak program in the Napa preserves the vibrant fruit and a softer mouth feel. The bouquet shows layer upon layer of dark berry fruit with hints of pepper and spice laced throughout. The flavors are dark blackberry and currant with hints of smoke and tar ending in a smooth silky finish. The color is intense, to say the least. If your pen runs out of ink, use the wine!