2003 Bassetti Vineyard Syrah

Despite the fact that we got our first grapes from Bassetti in 2000, the '03 is only the second bottling of pure Bassetti Syrah that we've made. Despite being in what most people might be inclined to think of as Southern California (where it's always warm, you know), there are some years at Bassetti, not unlike some European wine growing sites, when the grapes don't get so ripe as they do in other years, and, every now and then, they never quite get ripe at all. 2002 was such a year for much of the vineyard; October was unusually cool, in '02. Well, in '03 there was some concern about the possibility of a repeat performance, but things got pretty nice a little ways into October, and we got terrific grapes, and the resulting wine is something quite special.

FRUIT SOURCE:

The grapes come from the ground around the south end of the five acre knoll that Ellis Bassetti planted in 1998. It's well-drained, rocky clay soil, with some volcanic material. The grapes are tiny here, so the ratio of skin-to-juice is very high, resulting in wines of unusually vibrant color, and tremendous phenolic concentration.

WINEMAKING NOTES:

The color is ravishing, the kind of blue-crimson that seems like it must lead to the heart of passion itself. The nose is an ocean of purity, and sweetness of expression, in the most elegant and graceful manner that one can imagine. And when the wine enters one's mouth, as lovely and flawless as each sensation presents itself, it quickly becomes apparent that this is a wine made out of solid steel. There is no bottom to this wine, that can be perceived at this early hour. The structure is not large, but, rather, unyielding, despite the beautiful aromas, of violet, pepper, framboise, smoke, and blood. Will certainly be quite long-lived, and will reward considerable (15 years at least) patience.

WINEMAKER'S TASTING NOTES:

The color is ravishing, the kind of blue-crimson that seems like it must lead to the heart of passion itself. The nose is an ocean of purity, and sweetness of expression, in the most elegant and graceful manner that one can imagine. And when the wine enters one's mouth, as lovely and flawless as each sensation presents itself, it quickly becomes apparent that this is a wine made out of solid steel. There is no bottom to this wine, that can be perceived at this early hour. The structure is not large, but, rather, unyielding, despite the beautiful aromas, of violet, pepper, framboise, smoke, and blood. Will certainly be quite long-lived, and will reward considerable (15 years at least) patience.

• Production: 180 cases
• Suggested Retail: $40.00
• Release Date: September 2005

Produced and Bottled by Intuition and Blind Luck Under the direction of Steve Edmunds, winemaker.