Hand harvested grapes, sorted in the vineyard and winery. Aged 16 months in French oak hogsheads, 42% new. There’s a very strong terroir element to our 2013 eddie’s patch Syrah – it’s foremost a wine of site rather than Californian sunshine. It shows a prominent iron-like, ferrous/mineral element that is extremely complex and appealing and quite evocative of these deep red, eroded upland soils. At the same time though it’s quite fine-boned with pinpoint detail and clarity of aroma and flavor. A wine of complementary contrasts – bright and lively yet dark in character, supple mid-palate but firmly structured, lovely balance between richness and length – quite a linear wine. The wine dances along the palate and has poise and elegance despite its inherent power. The youthful structure is front and center at the moment so a long decant is best. The wine becomes penetrating and intense as it opens up in the glass with all manner of complex secondary flavors – black tea, cocoa, grilled meat and lavender but always with a vibrant energetic edge, never heavy or clumsy. Brilliant purple color in the glass. Hi-toned aromatics combine overt fruit with strong savory notes. Blue and black fruits – ripe and lush, graphite and minerals, bay leaf, white and black pepper, strong iron-like quality. Lovely fruit purity, focused, precise long flavors, lots of detail. Deep plum and cherry fruit but always zesty and mouthwatering. Rising acidity and good tannin definition. Decant in its youth and drink between mid-2016 and 2025.
