2011 Qupe Sonnie Sawyer Lindquist Syrah

Qupé “Sonnie’s” Syrah is a selection of the most elegant and aromatic lots of 100% Syrah clones ((Alban 1, Alban PB and Estrella) from the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard in Edna Valley. Planted in 2005, this vineyard was established using biodynamic farming methods, and was Demeter Certified Biodynamic in 2009. The soils are a composition of sandstone, rocks and volcanic material, which give the resulting wine a distinct mineral characteristic. “Sonnie’s” is named after renowned winemaker Bob Lindquist’s mother, Sandra (Sonnie) Granger Lindquist, and is a barrel selection of the best grapes of the vintage. Traditional winemaking techniques included open top fermenters, 50% whole clusters, native yeasts, and manual punch downs twice a day. The wine was aged for 22 months in exclusively Ermitage French oak barrels of which 60% were new oak for the first 10 months and the rest in one and two-year-old barrels. A final cut was made six weeks before bottling to ensure optimal complexity, acid and tannins, and to allow the wine to mature gracefully over time. Sublime notes of boysenberry, blueberry and black olive transition into a long and lingering finish. Enjoy this wine young with roasted duck and fingerling potatoes or save it in the cellar for a special occasion over the next 8-12 years.