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CLINE CELLARS
1999 Syrah
Los Carneros
Technical Notes
Harvest Date: October 21st-October 23rd
Brix at Harvest: 25.8°
Total Acidity: 0.64g/100ml
Final pH: 3.97
Residual Sugar: 0.012 g/L
Alcohol: 14.0%
Cases Produced: 2842
Suggested Retail: $23 |
VINTAGE NOTES
The last harvest of the millennium proved to be a year to remember. The 1999 harvest brought on both patience
and courage. This harvest will go down in California's winemaking history as one of the latest, longest and lightest,
with spring rains and cool weather pushing harvest back four to six weeks. Fortunately, Mother Nature began to
cooperate in late September with a warming trend, thus ripening our vineyards to full maturity. Despite the lateness
of the harvest, wines from various regions of the state showed a consistently forward fruit character and stunning
acidity, giving our California Syrah its well-balanced personality.
VINEYARDS
Though only the fourth vintage from our 18-acre hillside vineyard in Sonoma's Los Carneros district,
1999 demonstrates the incredible synergy that Syrah has shown with this unique site. The chilly Los Carneros fogs
and the steep, north-facing slope of hillside vineyard offer a particularly cool climate for ripening Syrah, lending
the wines a pronounced, bright cherry and cracked pepper character. Well-drained, rocky loam soils force our vines
to struggle and keep yields extremely low, further concentrating fruit character. We have been truly impressed
with the quality and individuality of wine produced from this unique vineyard.
FERMENTATION AND AGING
Our hillside Syrah is amongst the last vineyards to be harvested each year and 1999 was no exception. Grapes
arrived at the crush pad in good condition--ripe and showing no signs of rot--and was de-leafed by hand before
partial destemming and a very light crushing. After a 48 hour cold soak to extract flavor and color without harsh
tannins, fermentation proceeded at moderate temperatures in stainless steel with a combination of cultured and
indigenous yeasts. The cap was pumped over thrice daily, ensuring complete color saturation. Pressed off its skins
at dryness, the 1999 was racked once before being laid down to a complement of small French and American oak cooperage--approximately
34% new American. After a 14 month barrel aging program and an additional month in tank before bottling has lent
this wine a smooth, harmonious vanilla-tinged finish.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
I am truly amazed at the affinity that Syrah has shown for the soils and microclimate of our Los Carneros ranch.
Syrah is the grape that demonstrates its greatest potential for grandeur in the Northern Rhone appellations of
Côte-Rotie and Hermitage. Syrah exhibits many of the same brilliant fruit and smokey/tarry characteristics,
here, in Carneros. The steep northerly slope of our hillside vineyard seems to help bring forward the fresh cracked
pepper and berry notes that are typical of Syrah from a cooler climate. In the winery, careful management, hygiene
and modern winemaking techniques contribute to the explosive fruit nature of this wine without, I feel, the funky
animal aromas that mar Old World examples of the grape. Delicious presently, the ripe, medium-weight tannins of
our 1999 Syrah will allow this wine to age beautifully for 5 to 7 years.
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Cline Cellars 24737 Hwy 121, Sonoma, CA 95476
707/935-4310
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