Peirano Estate Vineyards Syrah
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Truly a “reserve” wine! This wine is the first bottling of the new “Winemaker’s Selection”. It’s a “reserve” bottling from the best of the handpicked and sorted grapes from the vineyards to the most creative, meticulous and laborious winemaking practices in the winery.
- Lance Randolph, fourth generation Peirano, winemaker. He implements new techniques to create the best of “Old World Meets New World” viticulture practices.
Varietal Composition: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo
Elaboration: Handpicked fruit lots into small bins for the most delicate handling of the fruit. Once in the winery, each varietal is kept separate throughout the entire fermentation and aging process. Fermentation starts with the winemaker’s choice of the best yeast strain, temperature, skin contact and extended maceration to dryness that produces that “reserve” distinction for each varietal. When dry, each varietal is lightly pressed and aged separately in French and American oak, of which 15% is new oak. The oak barrels are hand selected by the winemaker for each variety that expresses the true essence of that wine. After aging in the barrels for twelve months, the winemaker takes each varietal and tastes thru multiple blends to find the blend that is greater than its parts.
Tasting Notes: At first glance in the glass, you will be mesmerized by the rich, deep burgundy hue with a perfect clarity. The aromas of dark, rich plum, raspberry and cranberry fill the nose with a hint of sweet blood orange behind the plum. The palate is bright plum, perhaps satsuma plum, with a raspberry and cranberry medley. The second sip brings forth lightly spiced jam with good length, finishing up with a touch of molasses, mild baking spices and walnut. On the long, seductive finish, the smooth, velvety tannins complete this reserve wine.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The man in the awesome red shorts is Lance Randolph, and he is on a mission. His mission is to make the best wine to ever come out of the Lodi Appellation. Lance’s great grandfather, Giacomo Peirano, arrived in San Francisco in 1879 from his home in Genoa, Italy. By 1881, he started farming in Lodi, and year by year he steadily gained a place for himself pioneering vineyard and orchard development. Planted in the early 1880’s, Peirano Estate was one of the first vineyards in Lodi. Located in the very heart of the Lodi Appellation (granted in 1986), Peirano Estate Vineyards grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Viognier, Barbera, Petite Sirah, and has perhaps the largest single block of old, head-trained, natural rooted Zinfandel left in the state of California.
Nestled between the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Lodi has an ideal Mediterranean climate with deep, rich, sandy-loam soils and abundant quality water. These factors combine to make Lodi a major producer of quality wine grapes. Beginning with the hard work and inspiration of Giacomo Peirano, five generations have grown and harvested grapes from these vineyards for over 100 consecutive years.