2004 Caldwell Vineyards Syrah

The Caldwell Vineyard is 123 acres, with 60 of them planted to grape vines. It sits 500 feet above sea level giving panoramic views of Napa Valley, Mayacamas and Vaca Ranges. Grapes were first planted at the Caldwell site in 1982 with cuttings brought into the country using "creative" means. His nursery was a major source of French clones to other vineyards.

The fruit for JC Cellars is sampled from 3 different lots, each with its own expression of the vineyard. The soil at the vineyard is very shallow at 2 ½ feet deep. It's primarily a reddish soil with volcanic ash and rocks mixed in for good measure. This type of soil is technically referred to as Aiken Series. All of this adds up to great drainage and poor nutrients. Or to put it another way, great wine grapes.

The weather at Caldwell Vineyards has a lot of similarities to its neighboring AVA, Carneros. The cool breezes brought in from San Pablo Bay help to moderate temperatures during the summer, providing for a long growing season. The vineyard sits above the fog line giving the vineyard full sun exposure; ensuring great hang time and fully ripened Syrah. Each lot was picked individually to ensure fully ripened fruit while still maintaining the vineyard's terroir.

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Varietals:	100% Syrah
Appellation:	Napa Valley
Alcohol:	15.3%
Comments:	A perfect combination of California ripeness and the soul of the Northern Rhone are found in this Syrah. Our Caldwell Vineyard Syrah is sourced from 3 different sections, all containing various Entav clones. The wild blackberry and cassis fruit are laced with hints of smoked game, roasted herbs, vanilla bean and lavender. All clusters are hand-sorted, de-stemmed, fermented in ½ ton open top bins, punched down 5 times per day, then pressed directly into burgundian French oak barrels.
Reviews:	Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s The Wine Advocate: 91 points Exhibits a scorched/volcanic earth-like character along with notions of roasted herbs, espresso, cassis, and blackberries. This heady, Hermitage-like effort is distinctive, it should benefit from another year or so of bottle age and drink well for a decade or more.
	Connoisseurs’ Guide: 92 points From its dramatic, intensely peppery aromas of blackberries and ripe plums to its plush, positively mouthfilling flavors, the wine simply oozes concentrated berries and spice while getting a big boost from its very rich oak. Yet, for all of its mass and evident stuffing, it is remarkably well-balanced and buffers its heat with extract to spare. As this very deep wine and its impressive mates clearly attest, winemaker Jeff Cohn understands richness when it comes to Syrah.
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