Cline Los Carneros Syrah 1999

I am truly amazed at the affinity that Syrah has shown for the soils and microclimate of our Los Carneros ranch. Syrah is the grape that demonstrates its greatest potential for grandeur in the Northern Rhone appellations of Côte-Rotie and Hermitage. Syrah exhibits many of the same brilliant fruit and smokey/tarry characteristics, here, in Carneros. The steep northerly slope of our hillside vineyard seems to help bring forward the fresh cracked pepper and berry notes that are typical of Syrah from a cooler climate. In the winery, careful management, hygiene and modern winemaking techniques contribute to the explosive fruit nature of this wine without, I feel, the funky animal aromas that mar Old World examples of the grape. Delicious presently, the ripe, medium-weight tannins of our 1999 Syrah will allow this wine to age beautifully for 5 to 7 years.