Fall Release DuMOL Estate Vineyard Syrah (formerly Jack Robert's Run)
2017

Winemaker’s Notes

Our distinctive two-acre Estate Syrah parcel is close to the coast, nestled among some of west Sonoma County’s most famous Pinot Vineyards. This is one of the insider wines of our line-up, offering tremendous character, quality and complexity in a classic DuMOL manner: intensity with elegance, depth with detail, texture with vibrancy.

The vineyard’s gentle south-facing hillside and shallow sandy Goldridge soils are the foundation of the wine’s character. The old clone selections we planted in 2000 contribute next-level complexity and nuance to the wine’s story—there’s no simple, easy fruitiness here. The tiny yields of 2017—the lowest in this vineyard’s history—brought great density, powerful extract, incredible depth of flavor and gorgeous enveloping texture to this particular vintage.

The wine opens with soaring blueberry, plum and blackcurrant aromas framed by juniper and lavender scents. There are enticing white pepper, fresh-cut mint and white flower notes. The palate entry is fruit-driven and plush, then broad across the mid-palate with a deep sinewy texture and ripe blueberry compote flavors. The finish is powerfully intense with fragrant sandalwood and magnolia aromatic detail. Drink between 2020 and 2027 and gently decant for an hour in its youth.

Andy Smith