Montevina, Terra d'Oro, Syrah(2002)

Once harvested, the little berries are destemmed and only slightly crushed before half are sent to stainless steel fermentorsand half are sent to half-ton bins. As is tradition in Côte Rôtie, a small amount of Viognier (a white varietal native to the Rhône ) is fermented with the syrah. This co-fermentation and co-pigmentation intensifies aromatics in the wine and ironically darkens the robe of the finished wine. The stainless steel tanks are pumped over daily and receive multiple drain and return treatments to maximize extraction of soluble solids. The open bins are punched down daily read more...by hand to preserve to delicate fruit flavors and aromas. After pressing, the wine is aged in Hungarian and American small oak barrels for over a year.    (hide)