| The Syrah growing season of the 2004
vintage produced something special. A mild growing season
with only the irrigated soil moisture kept the vines from
excess vigor. The hot Labor Day weekend was a nice push for
the final ripening of the 2004 Syrah.
Syrah has the distinction of ripening
before most all of the red grape varieties, Pinot Noir as
one of the exceptions. This early ripening allows the winemaker
to choose among a number of wine styles how the wine can be
presented. The longer the fruit hangs on the vine affects
differing characters in the wine.
The bright intense fruit style that shows
big cranberry and pomegranate is what is created from prompt
picking after reaching 24 brix. The next flavors produced
are more similar to raspberry that develops toward blackberry.
Super-ripe flavors are more like a combination of red and
black licorice with deep aromas of earth and very hard tannins.
The style we choose to show in the Lockwood
2004 Syrah is the style which shows fruit and aromatics from
a mid range hang time. The size of the wine is medium; the
fruit aromatics are those of ripe blackberry and a mouth feel
with firm but not too much tannin. This fruit forward wine
will stand up to all culinary challenges and can be enjoyed
after the main course with a complement of ripe cheeses. Please
enjoy. |
