2004 SYRAH “COLSON CANYON”

This wine is 100% syrah from the Colson Canyon Vineyard, located in the hills to the northeast of the main part of the Santa Maria Valley.  Planted in 1998 in a rocky canyon, on rocky soil by an eccentric, retired, Santa Maria doctor named Reo Reiswig.  This vineyard (16 acres) is Reo’s baby, I think he know every vine.  It’s an amazing site and gives us syrah grapes that are uniquely individual to the site.

The hot weather in early September caused these grapes to sugar up too quickly.  Reo drip irrigated to help keep the heat at bay, but we still got super ripe grapes.  We harvested on September 16 at 27.4° brix, watered back to 25.5° and still ended up with 15.6% alcohol!  What can you do when temperatures climb over 90° for two weeks straight?

This wine is the most forward and most drinkable of all our ‘04s.  It’s big and ripe but not clumsy, the wine equivalent of Shaquille O’Neal!  Shaq has had a pretty long career though – I wouldn’t try to keep this wine any more that 2-3 years.  Enjoy it for its hedonistic pleasures now.