Unti Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
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When I was winemaker/general manager of Stonestreet, Mick Unti was in charge of sales for that Alexander Valley branch of the Kendall-Jackson empire. (KJ wasn't nearly as large in those early 90s years, more an empiroid.) Mick and I spent a lot of time together telling the Stonestreet story to distributors, wine writers and restauranteurs. We got so we could do each other's rap. Eventually Mick learned all my public speaking mannerisms and still enjoys pointing them out to other people. Around that time I met Mick's dad, George, who was starting to grow Euro-Mediterranean grape varieties in a little vineyard on the bench in Dry Creek Valley. When I started at Merryvale that winery was desperate for small lots of wines to sell in their tasting room. In 1999 George agreed to sell me a little of the Durell clone Syrah from his original planting on the bench. It was fun to make, went over well with the tourists and got critical acclaim. A few tons of the grapes were available when I set out on my own and George was nice enough to sell them to me. The 2006 was from some of the Durell clone and some clone 877. The 2007 and 2008 are all Durell clone, but from several different trellis types. Everything was fermented with native yeast. A couple of the fermentations included up to 25% whole clusters for a little more tannin and noticeable aromatic complexity. I don't think overt new oak is appropriate for this grape variety that has so much of its own flavor, so it was aged in used French oak barrels to keep the focus on the complex spice, berry and roast meat varietal character. It was fined very lightly with fresh egg whites to round the mouthfeel and was bottled unfiltered. This wine is subtle, balanced and delicious. It has the stuffing to age nicely for years.
$24 per bottle
$288 per case
2008 vintage
77 cases bottled unfiltered February 25, 2010
2007 vintage
121 cases bottled unfiltered March 13, 2009
2006 vintage
128 cases produced SOLD OUT
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2007 vintage:
88 (+?) Stephen Tanzer's INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR, May/June 2010
"Peppery cassis and blueberry flavors are tightly wound ... I like this wine's juicy character but it's holding as much in reserve as it offers right now. I'd come back in a couple of years."
2006 vintage:
91 Wine Spectator June 30, 2009
"Fresh, ripe, intense and vibrant, with a tasty core of wild berry .... "
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2008 Syrah |
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