Longboard Vineyards Russian River Syrah 2016
I began to make a cool region of Syrah way back in 1998, driven by a love for Northern Rhone wines. As a wine "newbie", traveling to surf destinations on the Atlantic shores of Europe, I found that these were the wines that could deliver quality on a very consistent level while I was on a surf-bum budget. Later, as a pro with more than 34 harvests under my belt, I still like a good Syrah - regardless of price... I now understand even better why this variety fits my palate then - and continues to do so now. It all has to do with balance and layering; Syrah is less tannic than Cabernet and a bit more layered than Pinot Noir. These traits, and the slight earthy spiciness we get in this region make Syrah a natural companion to a wide range of foods - and thus wins the vote in my heart (and palate). This Syrah is a blend of Dakine, Goosechase, and Ledbetter (old Preston Ranch) vineyard blocks. At release, 2016 shows a lot of blue-fruit nuances and some dry herb notes, all directly arising from a very even growing season. A bit of floral character and some bacon fat add complexity and marry well with the wild-fennel note I always get from Russian River Valley Syrah.
Cheers,
Oded Shakked - Owner & Winemaker of Longboard Vineyards
Wine Dogma: This blend comes from sites of different soil compositions, and quite different individual terroirs. Accordingly, I treat the lots individually, opting for open-top fermentation for the Dakine and traditional closed-top for the Ledbetter and Goosechase lots. I use a blend of Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels to age the wines on the fine lees for about 9 months, then rack them off the lees and age them an additional year in the same barrels. Wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Composition: Syrah 99 %, (Grenache, Carignan, Malbec, Petit Sirah) 1%
Appellation: 100% Russian River Valley
Production: 258 Cases
Alcohol: 14.5 %
TA: 6.65g/L
pH: 3.76
Established in 1998, Longboard Vineyards is fueled by the passion winemaker Oded Shakked has had since he first came to northern Sonoma in the late 1980s. Longboard is full of classic varieties that are grown to express local character, all wrapped in our relaxed Sonoma-style warm hospitality. Warm, confident, independent, refined but down-to-earth; Oded's personality is reflected in every wine he makes.
