2003 Highlands Syrah
Rutherford Hozhoni Vineyard
Rutherford Hozhoni Vineyard
100% Rutherford Hozhoni Vineyard - 100% Syrah
SKU: SYR03HV is SOLD OUT!
Wine Philosophy: Highlands Wines confirm that quality winemaking starts in the vineyard. Every vintage presents unique opportunities to explore and express the best the fruit and terroir has to offer. To maximize vintage opportunities, Highlands focuses on small lot production using inspired and uncompromised winemaking techniques. Bottling wines of intelligent and privileged character demonstrates our commitment to excellence. We at Highlands appreciate your participation in our discriminating enological experience of hand-crafted wines.
Food Parings: This Syrah is an affluent and refined wine that plays well with foods. Enjoyable pairings include peppered red meats, sausage, stews, barbeques, and grilled vegetables. This wine can stand up to spices, so consider Latin stews like Ajiaco or Cazuela de Vaca and full flavored grilled or barbecued ribs.
Vintage Notes: 2003 growing season is memorable for its unpredictable nature with early heat spikes in March, followed by the wettest April on record. This stalled growth, leaving vineyards behind normal for May. The weather pattern then broke into a typical, beautiful Napa Valley summer with occasional high heat spikes. Additional heat spikes in September helped to make up for the slow season start to bring harvest into typical time frames. Early season shatter lead to looser clusters retaining less moisture but promoting color concentration and intensity of flavors. This complex vintage is noted for lower yields of high quality.
Winemaker Notes: This is a specially selected clone of Syrah which adapts particularly well to steep hillside sites, not unlike Cote-Rotie. We have adapted traditional winemaking techniques to better fit the quality of our fruit, so we use no new oak and no Viognier, instead opting for an 18 month ageing regimen in one and two year old French Oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: This Syrah is fruit-forward, with ripe berries and sweet Santa Rosa plum aromas and flavors culminating in an abundant mouth feeling and a complex yet clean finish.
Aging: 18 months in small French Oak barrels.
Cellaring: Very rich and supple, this Syrah drinks very well now and will develop nicely for many years to come.
Technical Data:
Crush Date: September 28, 2003
Fermentation: Small stainless steel tanks
Blend Varietals: 100% Syrah
Blend Appellation: 100% Rutherford, Napa Valley