2009 Bennett Valley "Cardiac Hill" Syrah
100% Syrah
All I can say is thank goodness 2009 was an early vintage. Had it been late, this fruit wouldn’t have been ready to pick before the deluge of October 13th. Picked October 9th, 40% of the fruit was not destemmed to add floral notes to the nose and structure to the palate. Indigenous fermentation. Twenty-nine percent new French oak. Lightly egg white fined to polish the tannins but bottled unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Neon black-purple. Completely opaque. Room-filling aromas of blackberry, violets, crushed rocks, spring flowers, cured meat, and a hint of pepper. Very Cornas! Medium-full bodied and quite smooth on entry, refined tannins build slowly through the lip-smacking finish. A very savory, even meaty, Syrah. This wine offers up considerable complexity already but should be in its sweet spot between 2013 and 2022. (MRO – 09/25/11)