2017 Axiom® Syrah Alegría Vineyards

Tasting Notes

Rich aromas of dark plum and mocha infused with hints of coffee and leather lead into a velvety entry. On the palate, supple tannins balance the luscious mouthfeel. Intense dark cherry, wild blackberry, and black plum mingle with a lovely cocoa essence and traces of violets and orange zest. Smoky oak and freshly ground peppercorns appear in the finish as the flavors linger. Enjoyable now, and irresistible with another year of bottle aging.

Winemaker's Notes

In 1991 we planted our south-facing hillside as a field blend of Syrah inter-planted with Viognier. The Syrah clones are a pre-phylloxera selection from Australia, a Chapoutier selection from France, and an old California selection from McDowell Valley. We call our Syrah “Axiom” because an axiom is a self-evident truth, and it is evident from the first sniff and sip that this is a textbook expression of the classic tradition of enhancing aroma, color, and mouthfeel, by co-fermenting Syrah with Viognier. The 2017 season began with a wet winter that produced healthy growth. We hand-thinned the crop in multiple passes to assure balanced ripening. Harvest was early. A three-day cold soak allowed natural enzymes to extract and meld flavors and aromas of the two varieties before fermentation started. We supplemented the native yeast with a Côtes du Rhône isolate from France and co-fermented the varieties in an open top fermenter. We aged the 2017 Axiom sur lies in a combination of barrels carefully selected and sourced from different French and other European forests, for their ability to enhance the berry flavors typical of our Russian River Valley Syrah, while adding structure and notes of vanilla and spice. The barrels we chose added to the wine’s elegant character. The result is a superb reflection of the vineyard and the vintage.

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