2008 Spicerack Vineyards Syrah "Punchdown", Sonoma Coast
• Sustainable farming practiced in two superb, cool climate sites on Sonoma Coast brings intensity of flavor balanced by bright acidity
• Co-fermentation with Viognier enhanced color and mouthfeel and touch of Grenache added "pop"
• Careful harvest and winemaking decisions showcase varietal intensity - but within a balanced framework
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• Awards & Accolades •
2007 Vintage
EXCELLENT
"Glass-staining purple. Black fruits, leather and a whiff of licorice on the nose. Intense and velvety with dense, fine-grained flavors of cherry-vanilla, blackberry, licorice and smoky oak. Juicy acidity lifts the wine's dark fruits and gives the ripe, oak-spicy finish a penetrating quality."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
EXCEPTIONAL
"Dark fruit, pepper, clove, and a complex underbrush note with perfect balance. Fruit is from the same Rodgers Creek ranch that went into the 2006 Ramey Syrah ($65) that is superb. This wine is its near equal and is an absolute bargain! Another stunner from Jon and Susan Pey."
- Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences
The San Francisco Chronicle Recommends
"From Marin residents Jonathan & Susan Pey, the 2007 Spicerack Syrah is even better and spicier than the previous vintage. Bold pepper, coriander and charred branch aromas edge plum skin and blueberry. Downright autumnal!"
- San Francisco Chronicle, November 15, 2009
2006 Vintage
91 POINTS - EDITORS CHOICE, EXCELLENT & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"With its black pepper, cassis, beef jerky and Provençal herb flavors, this Syrah offers rich, complex drinking at a fair price. Fully dry, its tannins are thick, but very finely ground. Shows class and elegance through the long, spicy finish."
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine
EXCEPTIONAL
"Blue and red berry fruit, elegant entry, perfectly honed tannins, and no new oak to contend with the superb cool-climate fruit. Another Pey wine of true style and potential."
- Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences
WINE OF THE WEEK
"What a little beauty of a Syrah from Jonathan and Susan Pey of Spicerack Vineyards. Their "Punchdown" Syrah comes from two cool-climate sites on the Sonoma Coast. Rich and spicy with scents of cassis, black pepper and wild herbs, this is an elegant, moderately priced Syrah, a great buy for the price and a California Syrah that plays well with food. Open a bottle for some grilled or sautéed calves' liver, a pasta with chicken liver or gizzard sauce, some lamb chops or a simple roast chicken."
- Richard Derk, Los Angeles Times, March 4, 2009
2004 Vintage
92 Points - Good Value!
"Sporting aromas of smoked meats, blackberries and creamy oak with a whiff of wild flowers, this very tasty wine is equally complex and rewarding on the palate where its well-concentrated fruit flavors showcase the same panoply of spot-on varietal characteristics. Its solid fruit is nicely buttressed from front to back by integrated tannnins, and while the wine could benefit from a few years of cellaring, there is nothing preventing it from being enjoyed now with savory meats hot off the grill."
- Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine
90 Points!
"Spicerack is a project from Marin winemakers Jonathan and Susan Pey, and they've done a fine job capturing the savage Syrah possibilities in Paso Robles. This wine has classic scents of briar and white pepper, overlaying a dark fruit profile of fig and cassis. On the palate, the wine's flavors are very deep and intense, with a dark Petite Sirah-like intensity and gripping but supple tannins. What I like about this wine is that it's not a fruitbomb; its flavors and especially its texture seem to come from the earth."
- Patrick Comisky, Wine Review Online
• Vintage 2008•
2008 will be remembered for its extremes - frost, drought and forest fires. Early budbreak led to frost losses followed by a drought and heavy winds during flowering, all lowering crop size. A heat spike in early September was followed by a welcome cooling trend and the vines ripened slowly through harvest and delivered delicious flavors - at least for what was left on the vine.
• Two Cool Climate Vineyards•
Our "Punchdown" Syrah comes from two unique sites. The "Rodgers Creek" hillside vineyard, planted in 1997, is next to the "Durrell" and "Les Pierres" vineyards at about 800 feet on Sonoma Mountains southwest side and is the home of David Ramey's critically-acclaimed ($60) Syrah. Thin, sandy soils and gusty winds define the site and deliver superb cut and white pepper notes reminiscent of some Rhône Valley Syrah. The soil profile is of volcanic origin and provides good drainage. The balance of the blend hails from Sonoma Mountain and provides a fullness and "meatiness" we like. In short, these are exceptional cool-climate environments for Rhône varietals.
• Winemaking•
Compact bunches of tiny Syrah berries were hand-harvested on September 26 and October 4. Our Syrah clusters were hand sorted, destemmed & crushed (5% whole berry) and "cold soaked" for four days in open-top temperature-controlled fermenters. Warm fermentation temperature (85°) moved fermentation along and multiple "punchdowns" kept the cap well immersed in its dark and delicious must. Co-fermentation with Viognier enhanced color and mouthfeel. On Day 11 the still-fermenting must was gently pressed into French oak barriques where it completed primary and secondary fermentations. Press fractions were kept separate (and ultimately not used). Our French barrels were very high quality, and only 20% new, thus contributed minimal new oak flavor to the wine. This let the purity of this noble variety and its superb vineyard sites shine through. Twelve months barrel maturation was supplemented with four rackings which contributed exotic spiciness and wonderful, smooth but subtle mouth-feel. Our assemblage in November 2009 included a touch of Grenache which built brightness and balance.
We call our Spicerack Syrah "Punchdown" to reflect the many times the cap was punched down during fermentation. It is very enjoyable now as it displays the richness and varietal typicity of great cool climate California Syrah with nuances of Rhône-esque white pepper. Under proper cellar conditions it should improve for several years.
• Wine Facts •
Regional Composition: 100% Sonoma Coast
Varietal Composition: 94% Syrah, 4% Viognier, 2% Grenache
pH: 3.62
TA: 0.67 g/100mL
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Production: 14 barrels
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