Syrah (Sonoma Valley, California)

It's heritage is strong. Syrah in Sonoma County can trace its lineage from 1880 when John Drummond returned from France. He brought with him cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Lafite, Pinot Noir from Beaune in Burgundy and Syrah from the hill known as Hermitage. As a viticulturist in Sonoma Valley, Drummond became the father of Sonoma County wine.

Heading north from San Francisco, we cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take Highway 101 North into Petaluma. From there, California Highway 12, the Sonoma County Highway winds around the rolling hillsides seeking out the lighter grean leaves, the long plant canes, and the relatively (for noble red grapes) loose bunches of grapes. As we learned yesterday, Syrah craves long, bright, warm sunshine. So, we look to the south-facing slopes where they are exposed to sunshine during the growing season from early morning into evening.

The climate in Sonoma is ideal for producing big, rich Syrah. With almost no summer rain in a typical year, lots of sunshine, and often extreme temperatures in the warmer parts of the valley (some of the warmer growing seasons in recent years have seen frequent spikes above 40C/104F), these Syrah plants are heavily stressed producing wines with quite intense flavors. If you like the popular Aussie Shiraz style of big and jammy, these are the Sonoma Syrahs for you.

But, not all of Sonoma is that warm. As we head to the north and west where the elevation is higher, the ocean breezes more pronounced and the sun a bit shielded by the mountains, temperatures may be 10C/18F cooler and the wine character is very different. It's more elegant and less bold. It's more in the character of the Old World Syrah with more defined spice, but less in your face fruit. It tends to not drink as young, but often lasts longer.

As a consumer, how do you know? 

The warmer parts of Sonoma tend to be the Cabernet heavens so to speak. Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, and Dry Creek are all among the warmer American Viticultural Areas (AVA) within the larger Sonoma County AVA. Syrah from these AVAs will tend to be bigger, bolder, and jammier. 

On the other hand, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Bennett Valley (a tiny little nook stuck in the middle of the county with uniquely cool evenings) tend to produce more elegant Syrahs that are more ageworthy and loaded with peppery spice.

It's a large county and they produce lots of Syrah, but you need to understand your style of choice. More so than other grapes from other regions, my suggestion is that when you find one you like, look closely at the label to see the origin of the grapes. Then look for other bottlings from nearby wineries.

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