2021 Minus Tide Valenti Vineyard Syrah

Tasting Notes: Marked by complex savory notes of black and white pepper, dried herbs, olive tapenade, and salami, this layered, mouthwatering Syrah also has hints of cassis, dark plum, and wild blackberry. Refined tannins add to the wine’s notable structure. With beautiful minerality, intense concentration, and length, this is an elegant yet powerful expression of coastal, high-elevation Syrah.

Vineyard: Valenti Vineyard - Mendocino Ridge AVA, Mendocino
The south-facing Valenti Vineyard lies at elevations of 1,300-1,600 ft., six miles from the Pacific Ocean. Planted in 1998, the wines from this vineyard made us fall in love with cool-climate California Syrah. The perfect site for Syrah, Valenti’s cooling coastal winds enable the grapes to ripen slowly and at lower Brix, producing wines of complexity, vibrancy, and balance. The classic pepperiness that is such a signature of this site’s Syrah can sometimes even be tasted in the grapes themselves.

Winemaking: Native yeast. 50% whole-cluster fermentation in small, open-top fermenters. Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 11 months. Unfined and unfiltered.

Vintage: 2021 was an excellent growing year with a mild spring and warm summer. The vintage overall showed lovely concentration and pronounced depth of flavor.