About Verna's - Verna's Vineyard is a new vineyard owned by the Melville Winery and located on Cat Canyon road in Los Alamos (Santa Barbara County). Jaffurs has four different Syrah clones growing at the vineyard. The vineyard includes a very steep hillside with very low yields that enable us to foot-stomp whole clusters during fermentation.
2007 Verna’s Vineyard Syrah
The 2007 Verna’s Vineyard Syrah is chewy, dark, sweet herb, intensely flavored, olive tampenade, chocolaty, fruitful wine. Already powerful, whole cluster fermentation adds weight and a spice component. A blend of Estrella, Clone 1, 877 and 174 clones grapes yields balance and complexity. Made using two new French and older French and American barrels. (318 cases produced)
• The Melville’s Rhone varietal ranch in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos is a cool, windy site, within view of the more intense fog layers of Santa Maria. It is an ideal growing site and meticulously farmed by Brett Melville.
• The steep hillside vineyard block is planted to Clone 1 Shiraz and Estrella clone 1 syrah. This block yields very little fruit. Conversely, this block yields the most intense fruit from the vineyard.
• The flatter vineyard block is planted to Clone 877 and Clone 174 syrah. This block produces at higher yields, but produces surprisingly intense wine. We always marvel at how hard the berries from this block are at harvest – they actually bounce!
• First picking from the hillside harvested October 12th (Clone 1 25.5 brix and 3.5 pH, Estrella Clone 24.6 brix, 3.5 pH) 1 TPA
• Second and third picking harvested between Oct 23rd (Clone 174, 25.8 brix, 3.3 pH) (Clone 877, 26.5 brix, 3.4 pH). 3.5 TPA
• Hillside fruit was foot stomped and whole cluster fermented for several days following a two day cold soak. This wine component adds power, spice, and texture.
• Clones 877 and 174 fruit was stemmed but not crushed. Intact, whole berries were placed in small bin boxes for 14 days of fermentation after a two-day cold soak.
• Inoculated with William-Selyem, D254, and RC 212 yeasts.
• This wine represents fourteen choice barrels selected out of a total lot of twenty four.
• Of this, four were new French barrels, two were new American barrels, and the rest were older barrels, both French and American.
• Went through ML fermentation, completing in January.
• Racked in July, and again before bottling.
• Unfined and unfiltered
• 18 months barrel age.
• An incredibly powerful wine, big and bold. Will benefit from aging.
• Bottled in March 2009.
Food Pairing: This is a highly flavored wine which works well with similarly flavorful food. Try dark sauces, even some with dark fruit. Makes a great reduction sauce. Try spiced or BBQ pork, lamb, or beef. Slow roasted short-ribs in syrah reduction cannot be beat. Seared, spiced Ahi is a favorite, as is smoked salmon.