Fall Release Hoppe-Kelly Vineyard Eddie's Patch Syrah
2011

Winemaker’s Notes

2011 was among the latest harvests and lowest crop yields in our thirteen year’s work at the steeply terraced Hoppe-Kelly vineyard and our newest Eddie’s Patch bottling is most similar in style to the 2000 and 2007 vintages, which puts it in pretty fine company. There is a gentle elegance and savory aspect to this year’s bottling that is less apparent in warmer more densely-fruited vintages. The fruit ripeness at harvest was slightly lower than previous years so the emphasis is on the wilder aspects of Syrah – cracked pepper, tar and roasted meat instead of overt fruit. The low crop yield and long hang time the grapes enjoyed up to harvest has given the wine an appealing broad textural character that ensures it will drink well soon after release. Palate length is long, pure and supple and I expect the wine will be approachable by mid-2014.

Dark ruby color. Immediately briary and fruit driven with an intense blackberry and blackcurrant aromatic core. Turns savory and complex with air: spearmint, tarragon, smoked meat, pepper steak, thyme and mixed peppercorns. Fruit and vineyard purity on the palate – deep dark core of juicy blackberry/boysenberry fruit with graphite, olive tapenade and cocoa powder notes. Broad seamless tannins flush out the finish with anise and lavender complexity. Cellar for a year and decant for an hour before serving. Drink between 2014 and 2020.

Andy Smith