2002 Syrah - Dry Creek Valley
It is with great pride that we introduce the second vintage of Longfellow Syrah. As a follow up to our blockbuster 2001 vintage, this wine is a gorgeous encore characterized by its intensity, concentration, and soul-satisfying earthiness. The 2002 growing season was the best of the decade so far. An absence of prolonged heat spells produced warm days and cool evenings and a couple of manageable heat spikes in early Autumn sped the harvest to a close in early October.
In 2002, we continued to harvest our Syrah grapes from the acclaimed Unti Vineyard in Sonoma County. Unti Vineyards is located in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley right outside the town of Healdsburg. The Unti’s are well-known for their uncompromised farming practices especially on Rhone varietals. Since the beginning of our program, we have worked very closely with the Unti’s to dial in the optimal farming practices for our vineyard blocks. Our unlimited access to the vineyard helps promotes a seamless consistency from bud break through bottling. In 2001, we harvested fruit from three different blocks on the Dry Creek Valley floor, however in 2002 we only brought in fruit from what we felt were the two better blocks comprised of shorter rows and hence, more even ripeness throughout.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, we use a liberal amount (60%) of new oak in aging our Syrahs. We upped the percentage of new French oak in 2002 to balance the beautifully ripe fruit and add a subtle layer of sweet toastiness. Our goal at Longfellow is to make unique wines, but ones that are true to their varietal heritage. The 2002 Syrah is an exquisite example of achieving this goal.
| Vintage: | 2002 |
| Wine Type: | Medium Red Wine |
| Varietal: | Syrah |
| Appellation: | Dry Creek Valley |
| Harvest Date: | October 2002 |
| Aging: | 18 months |
| Bottling Date: | April 2003 |
| Alcohol %: | 14.6% |
Winemaking: Unfined & unfiltered
Rolando Hererra
425 Cases
Barrels: 60% French oak 40% American oak
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