About this wine
Syrah was hand harvested on, October 12, 2022. The winemaking team hand sorted the Syrah cluster by cluster. This was done to pick the ripest and healthiest fruit that was given to us in 2022. The fruit was crushed into a stainless steel tank and one open top fermenter. The fruit was fermented at warm temperatures to maximize color and tannin extraction. The winemaking after tasting through the barrels had a 5 barrel blend that they thought represented the best attributes of Syrah in the Finger Lakes. This selection was aged an additional 8 months in order to increase concentration and complexity. This wine takes the excepional fruit from Sawmill Creek and elevates it to a truly special wine.
Suggested Food Pairings
Roasted eggplant, grilled sausage with peppers and onions, roasted venison, and Gouda cheeses.
Wine Details
Vintage Notes
2022 reflected the duality of Finger Lakes Vintages. A relatively short vintage in comparison to the previous years was defined by a small but high-quality crop. A warm and dry spring led into summer creating low vigor in the vines. August and September were marred by hurricane season leading to above average rainfall in August and September. We were rewarded by delaying harvest as we had the driest October of the last 21 years. This harvest schedule allowed for crisp and linear whites and luscious full body reds.
Vineyard & Soil
Sawmill Creek is one of the iconic vineyards of the Finger Lakes. This farm was planted in 1852 and has been farmed for 7 Generations by the Hazlitt family. Located right across the street from our tasting room, this 70 acre site highlights the terroir of the Finger Lakes. The vineyard rocky shale and limestone soils slope towards the lake. The grapes have full exposure to the warm afternoon sun, leading to increased ripeness and varietal typicity.This vineyard was planted in 1998. Planted 11,00 feet from Seneca lake, the cool summer breezes from the lake elongate ripeness and the cool breezes also provide a crisp acidity that provides tension in the wine. The vineyard is planted on a deep Lansing gravelly silt loam. This soil sits on a mix of shale and limestone. The deep soils provide plenty of micronutrients to create a plush, ripe, food friendly wine.
Tech Sheet
Composition
100% Syrah
Alcohol
12.0%
Harvest Brix
19.8
Total Acidity
7.8 g/L
Residual Sugar
0%
pH
2.96
Cased Produced
125
Retail Price
$46
Dietary notes
Vegan, Gluten Free
Dietary notes
Vegan, Gluten Free
