2007
Paul Hobbs Syrah, Kick Ranch Vineyard Sonoma County
Winemaker's Notes
This syrah commands attention with a dense, black garnet hue accompanied by generous aromatics; blueberry, black currant, white pepper and savory notes of pancetta introduce a wine that is big-boned and bold, yet complex and nuanced. Unfolding in layers of blackberry, plum and dried herbs, the palate is still brooding but declares itself with authority, finishing long with firm tannins and notes of cedar and spice. Alcohol 14.9%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Richard & Katherine Keenan
Vineyard
Kick Ranch Vineyard
Appellation
Sonoma County
Clones
Hermitage, 877
Vineyard Age
Planted in 2001
Site
Gravelly clay loam with lots of exposed red volcanic soil on hillside
Yield
4.3 tons /acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
October 11
Harvest Brix
26.4°
Growing Season
The 2007 growing season was preceded by a mild, dry winter. Bud break came early and set a crop of tight clusters of small berries. Summer brought ideal weather with warm, even temperatures through veraison. Several heat spikes in August suggested that crush might begin early but temperatures cooled in early September, allowing ample time for phenolics as well as sugars to reach optimum levels. The result was a slow, steady harvest of exceptional quality, with wines showing great intensity and structure.
Winemaking
• Hand-harvested grapes
• Fermented in small, open-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
• 5-day cold soak, 19 days total maceration
• Hand-punched cap
• Concurrent, spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
• Aged 18 months in French oak barrels; 67% new
• Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; bottled April 2009
