Tasting Notes: This Syrah is deeply savory and soulful, with notes of black olive and pepper. Layers of black tea, graphite, and salami combine with a dusty floral prettiness. Mouthwatering salinity shows off the coastal influence of Valenti Vineyard. With chalky, fine-grained tannins, this balanced, mineral-driven Syrah finishes with lovely length and elegance.
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, 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.
Vintage: A cold spring was followed by a warm summer season, which allowed the grapevines to catch up to a more typical ripening timeline. The weather during harvest was mild with even temperatures, allowing us to pick the grapes at optimal maturity. The 2024 vintage overall is marked by excellent quality, higher acidity, and nice concentration
Technical Details:
Composition: 100% Syrah
Vineyard: Valenti
Appellation: Mendocino Ridge
Clones: Durell, Chave
pH: 3.8
TA: 5.5 g/L
Brix at harvest: 22.8
Alcohol: 13.4%
127 cases produced
Decanter
Gavin Schmidt, chef-partner at The Morris in San Francisco: "Some of our favourite pairings at The Morris for the duck are Northern Rhône Syrah or Loire Cab Franc. The Aurélien Chatagnier 'Zélée' Saint Joseph is a great one, but also never a bad excuse to crack that bottle of Thierry Allemand Reynard Cornas," says Schmidt. "If you want a domestic option, the great folks at Minus Tide make a magical Syrah."
Food & Wine
"These producers are a perfect way to start exploring all that Syrah has to offer: Minus Tide"
Vinography
Valenti Vineyard: "One of the best Syrah vineyards in California"
Wine & Spirits
"This young partnership explores Mendocino's cooler climates through elegant, site-specific syrahs"
