2018 Estate Syrah

Thompson Vineyard

100% Syrah

Regular price $65.00
/
2018 Estate Syrah

2018 Estate Syrah

Thompson Vineyard

100% Syrah

Regular price $65.00
/

Dovecote’s Syrah is made to highlight the unique own-rooted Estrella River Syrah that was originally “borrowed” from the famed Chapoutier vineyard in Hermitage, France. Above all, it is what Thompson Vineyard has become renowned for over nearly 30 years.  Dark, rich, and multidimensional, the 2018 Dovecote Syrah delivers its power with a graceful touch.

Meticulously farmed from just a few of the sandiest, windblown, and nutrient-depleted northwesternmost rows of the cool climate Thompson Vineyard.  Clusters and berries are tiny, with massive skin-to-pulp ratios providing intense structure and density.

Wine specs
  • Alcohol 14.7%
  • Vintage 2018
  • Varietal 100% Syrah
  • Vineyard Thompson Vineyard
  • Appellation Alisos Canyon
Vineyard notes

    Established in 1990, Thompson Vineyard lies just inland from California’s windswept Central Coast on the eastern side of the cool San Antonio Creek Valley in Northern Santa Barbara County.  It rests within the Alisos Canyon corridor where transverse mountain ranges flood the area with daily fog and ocean air, extending chilly mornings and afternoons, softening midday heat, and yielding cold and often icy nights.

    Planted to primarily Rhone varietals, here the vines sit on their own roots in alluvial sand over a deep foundation of white limestone that once comprised the floor of the Pacific Ocean.  Thompson Vineyard naturally produces extremely small, slow, and evenly-ripening yields that often stretch harvests well into late November, resulting in deeply complex cool-climate wines that evolve gracefully with age.

  • Vine Age 28 years
  • Clone Estrella River
  • Rootstock Own
  • Soil Sand and flint over limestone
  • Farming Sustainable
  • Climate Cool I/II
Production notes

    Cold hand-harvested grapes were brought into the winery early in the morning.  All clusters and berries were then meticulously sorted and de-stemmed.  Grapes were cold soaked for four days before allowing fermentation to begin in small open top bins.  Wine was aged in 25% new French oak barrels for 18 months and bottled unfiltered.  Finally, the wine was allowed an additional full year of bottle conditioning before release and will benefit from additional cellar time before consumption.

  • Aging 18 months in 25% new French oak barriques
  • Cases 85
  • Peak years 2024-2035
Vintages of Reds
2019 Redtail
2018 Redtail