2008 Syrah, Grigsby Vineyard, Napa Valley
Wine Specs
Vintage
2008
Varietal
Syrah
Appellation
Yountville
Vineyard Designation
Grigsby Vineyard
Aging
18 months in small French oak barrels, 55% new
Bottling Date
April 16th, 2010
Alcohol %
15.1
Wine Spectator
92
2008 Syrah, Grigsby Vineyard, Napa Valley
In Stock
On the nose the wine shows great varietal typicity, with the aromas initially dominated by rich dark fruit notes reminiscent of ripe boysenberries, blueberries and huckleberries. With a bit of air, elegant hints emerge of acacia flowers and violets, along with warm flourishes of cocoa powder and toasty oak. On approach the wine is broad and full, with substantial palate presence and a lush, sumptuous mouthfeel. The flavors here are pure Syrah, reflecting the concentrated, fruit-forward character of the 2008 vintage. Through the mid-palate and onto the finish, our Grigsby Vineyard's vibrant natural acidity and hallmark velvety tannins lend remarkable balance and elegance to this rich wine, which leaves the palate coated with delicious Syrah fruit.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Our Grigsby Vineyard is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of
Yountville Crossroad and the Silverado Trail, where the Yountville AVA meets the
Stags Leap District. e soil here is a light clay loam, generously sprinkled with small
river rocks, on a site that enjoys a very special balance of climate conditions. During
the day, warm temperatures and full sun exposure encourage the grapes to develop
rich, ripe flavors and polished tannins. In the evening, cooling marine breezes and fog
from San Pablo Bay dramatically reduce temperatures in the vineyard, allowing the
fruit to retain aromatic complexity, bright natural acidity, and a distinctive elegance.
e vineyard is farmed with the highest quality considerations, and the fruit clusters
are hand-thinned to prevent crowding or shading for optimal development.
Production Notes
At Rocca Family Vineyards, we believe deeply that all great wines are made in the vineyard.
Our winemaker, Paul Colantuoni, and vineyard manager Sergio Melgoza work very closely
together, taking tremendous care to ensure that our estate vineyards produce grapes of the
highest possible quality. In 2008, their dedicated efforts met with growing conditions that
decidedly promoted quality over quantity. In the early spring, Napa Valley experienced its
coldest and longest frost events in decades, which significantly reduced vineyard yields.
Furthermore, for the second year in a row, rainfall was little more than 60% of average. As a
result, grape clusters were far fewer and smaller than normal, with unusually tiny berries.
When the rest of the growing season brought essentially picture-perfect ripening conditions,
these naturally concentrated grapes matured slowly and fully, developing remarkably
profound flavors and lush tannins. e resulting wines from the 2008 vintage are exceptionally
dense, richly fruit-forward and extroverted, with great charm and elegance.
Winemaker Notes
Our goal at Rocca is to make wines that reflect, as fully and faithfully as possible, the
unique characteristics of the vineyards from which they come. To this end, all of our wines
are made exclusively from our own organically-farmed, estate-grown grapes, which we
selectively hand harvest in the cool hours of the night. Once the fruit has been picked, we
take an emphatically hands-off, non-interventionist approach to winemaking. Th is wine
was created entirely from Syrah from our Grigsby Vineyard, which was de-stemmed as
gently as possible, and allowed to ferment with the vineyard's own indigenous yeasts. It
was then gently pressed off, and transferred into barrels. Th e wine was aged for 18 months
in French oak, approximately 55% new, before bottling in April 2010.
Production
401 cases
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