Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Old Corral 2012

VINEYARD

Old Corral Syrah is sourced from four distinct vineyard blocks: Old Corral, 42 Terraces, Rocky and Boulder. As the names imply, these are steep and rocky vineyards where Syrah best expresses intensity and complexity. All four blocks are planted at a spacing of 8x3 ft and 5x3 ft to the Alban PowerBlock selection which produces small clusters and berries along with low yields of less than two tons per acre. It is distinctly different from our Rattlesnake Rock cuvée with a more brooding and spicy character. The vineyard is Certified Organic by CCOF and we believe our commitment to organics results in a healthier vineyard and better wine.

WINEMAKER NOTES

The 2012 vintage offered perfect growing conditions and a good set for reasonable yields. We picked on October 20th, 21st and 29th. All lots were destemmed whole berry into our 1.5 ton fermenters. The last lot, picked on the full harvest moon, was co-fermented with 28% Grenache. The wine spent 24-26 days on the skins before we pressed it off to barrel. We find this longer, gentle extraction results in better mouthfeel and length. The wine then spends 21 months in 300 liter French oak Hogs Head barrels (50% new) without any racking before bottling. This is a wine that typically takes about two years in bottle before it begins expressing it’s potential. If enjoyed in it’s youth, we recommend decanting.