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| 2008
Napa Valley Syrah: 91 Points - Wine Spectator - "Combining firmness with finesse, this is well-centered on dried ripe berry, mineral, fresh earth and savory herb flavors that gain depth and complexity on the finish, where the tannins gain traction." Following a cool, dry spring was consistent summer sunshine with evenly moderate temperatures that allowed the small crop to cruise to optimum ripeness. A lengthy frost season decreased yields dramatically, and as low yields usually equal high quality, vintage 2008 turned out to be exceptional. By harvest we were delighted with the resulting excellent concentration of dark berry flavors, ripe and round fleshy tannin, intense varietal character, and deep dark pigment. 17 Months aging in 40% new French oak barrels rounded out the palate even further, while adding more texture, aroma, and flavor components. Expect to find wild blackberry, violet, blueberry, dark chocolate, white pepper, exotic spice, truffle, and the Buoncristiani signatures of balance, depth on the mid palate, and a lengthy persistent finish. To ensure our highest standard of quality, we source this Syrah from vineyards managed with our same strict viticultural philosophy. The ‘08 blend was handcrafted from small lots harvested exclusively from our block 1800 ft above sea level at Stagecoach Vineyards in the Vaca Mountains above Oakville, and Larry Hyde’s Hyde Las Trancas Vineyard in Oak Knoll. Sourcing and blending Syrah from these ultra premium vineyards helps us create our Artistico profile of uncompromising quality. The Buoncristiani brothers created the series “Artistico” to fuse winemaking passion with other forms of art expression. Our Syrah label features original artwork to complement our blend for each vintage. The different vineyard and barrel components are blended in several phases creating optimum complexity while retaining balance, varietal character, and superior quality. This wine was aged in barrels for 17 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in March of 2010. |
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| P.O. Box 6946 -- Napa, CA 94581 -- Phone: (707)259-1681 -- Fax: (707)259-1740 -- bros@buonwine.com |