Calistoga, Napa Valley

The Stagecoach Vineyard continues to produce Syrah of unparalleled quality. The Syrahs from that mountain vineyard really shine from the steep, rocky terroir of the location. The 2017 vintage possesses a bold, deep, dark color that opens the door to an array of black fruit aromatics. Cassis, blackberry, warm toasted bread and French Oak vanillin all fill the glass with purpose. While still young and in development, the palate shows superior promise with minerals, tongue swirling acidity, cherry and black plum.  The tannins are firm and support the back palate for several moments beyond the initial taste. If cellared correctly, this wine will continue to improve through 2029.

In The Vineyard

Stagecoach is one of the Napa Valley’s largest and leading mountain vineyards located near the Atlas Peak AVA at an elevation of around 1,700 feet above sea level. The soil is very rocky and topography very steep. Temperatures are warm in the midday and cold at night. This diurnal effect makes for a balance of vibrant acidity and fruit structure that is concentrated and focuessed. “Block I-4” is referenced in this bottling because of its very high elevation relative to the rest of the Stagecoach Vineyard.

In The Cellar

The grapes were hand-picked early and cool in the morning, then immediately whole berry destemmed using our state-off-the-art Pellenc sorting and destemming system. The pristine berries were moved via gravity into open top fermentars, given an initial 5 day cold soak, and fermented utilizing spontaneous native and malolactic fermentation. Time on skins lasted 21 days. The grape pomace was lightly pressed and kept separate as not to supply too much tannin in the finished wine. The barrel program is 100% French oak with 60% entirely new Francois Frères from the tight grained Voges forest in both medium and heavy toast. Bottled unfiltered.