cropthreash


Handmade wines since 1983.

 

 

1997 SYRAH BIEN NACIDO
Santa Barbara County
800 cases made
 
The first critical decision in the process of making wine is when to harvest. In California we are blessed with consistently dry harvests and usually don't worry about inclement weather. But don't be fooled into thinking we are less concerned with deciding when to pick our grapes. Even small differences in grapes can be apparent in finished wine. The `97 Bien Nacido syrah is an excellent example. In 1997 we experienced a hot spell right when the grapes at Bien Nacido were perfect for picking. And even though we harvested in three consecutive days, each day's fruit came in to the winery a degree higher in sugar. We decided to vinify and barrel these lots separately. As you can guess, the aromatic and textural variations between the three lots were strikingly individual. For the `97 Bien Nacido syrah we blended what we thought were the two most distinctive lots. The first lot was perfumed and seductive - full of crushed raspberries, jasmine, anise and vanilla; the second lot was earthy and savage - offering up hickory smoke, spicy dried coppa, wet stones and black currants. The blend is exotic, perfectly poised, delicious and full of all the charms and complexities of Bien Nacido's unique terrior.