Wine Article
2005 Sandler Wine Company Syrah Connell Vineyard
Last edited on 12/17/2007 by Eric
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Winemaker's notes:
The story of how this wine came about is an interesting one, to me at least. My Uncle John was visiting the Bay Area from Michigan in the winter of 2005. Being a wine fanatic, he wanted me to make a few winery appointments for him. Who better to call than Greg P? Greg set up visits for us at Paloma on Spring Mountain and with Thomas Brown at Nicholson Ranch. While tasting with Thomas, we first tried barrels of his '04 Rivers Marie Pinots, then moved on to the '04 Nicholson Ranch Syrahs. I had one sip of the Connell Vineyard Syrah and thought to myself that this was the finest California Syrah I had ever come across.
As luck would have it, Thomas told me that the Connells might have a few extra tons of this Syrah available for the '05 harvest. I called Sally Connell as soon as I could, visited the vineyard, and signed a contract for 2 tons of their Syrah on the spot, two months before budbreak. It was my first moment in the Bennett Valley, but I was thrilled to have a chance to get some of this incredible fruit. By the way, for more on Bennett Valley, check out this website:http://www.bennettvalleygrapegrowers.org/
The grapes for this 2005 Connell Vineyard Syrah were harvested on November 3, just before the rains commenced a very wet winter. I decided to ferment the wine entirely whole cluster and to age it in 100% neutral barrels. After only 9.5 months in barrel, I bottled the wine in late August of 2006. At this young stage, the wine is showing an intense black pepper nose, with a full palate and plenty of youthful but not obtrusive tannin. It seems to benefit from a couple hours in a decanter.
The story of how this wine came about is an interesting one, to me at least. My Uncle John was visiting the Bay Area from Michigan in the winter of 2005. Being a wine fanatic, he wanted me to make a few winery appointments for him. Who better to call than Greg P? Greg set up visits for us at Paloma on Spring Mountain and with Thomas Brown at Nicholson Ranch. While tasting with Thomas, we first tried barrels of his '04 Rivers Marie Pinots, then moved on to the '04 Nicholson Ranch Syrahs. I had one sip of the Connell Vineyard Syrah and thought to myself that this was the finest California Syrah I had ever come across.
As luck would have it, Thomas told me that the Connells might have a few extra tons of this Syrah available for the '05 harvest. I called Sally Connell as soon as I could, visited the vineyard, and signed a contract for 2 tons of their Syrah on the spot, two months before budbreak. It was my first moment in the Bennett Valley, but I was thrilled to have a chance to get some of this incredible fruit. By the way, for more on Bennett Valley, check out this website:http://www.bennettvalleygrapegrowers.org/
The grapes for this 2005 Connell Vineyard Syrah were harvested on November 3, just before the rains commenced a very wet winter. I decided to ferment the wine entirely whole cluster and to age it in 100% neutral barrels. After only 9.5 months in barrel, I bottled the wine in late August of 2006. At this young stage, the wine is showing an intense black pepper nose, with a full palate and plenty of youthful but not obtrusive tannin. It seems to benefit from a couple hours in a decanter.