Santa
Barbara County
800
cases made
The first critical decision in the process of making wine is
when to harvest. In California we are blessed with consistently
dry harvests and usually don't worry about inclement weather.
But don't be fooled into thinking we are less concerned with
deciding when to pick our grapes. Even small differences in
grapes can be apparent in finished wine. The `97 Bien Nacido
syrah is an excellent example. In 1997 we experienced a hot
spell right when the grapes at Bien Nacido were perfect for
picking. And even though we harvested in three consecutive days,
each day's fruit came in to the winery a degree higher in sugar.
We decided to vinify and barrel these lots separately. As you
can guess, the aromatic and textural variations between the
three lots were strikingly individual. For the `97 Bien Nacido
syrah we blended what we thought were the two most distinctive
lots. The first lot was perfumed and seductive - full of crushed
raspberries, jasmine, anise and vanilla; the second lot was
earthy and savage - offering up hickory smoke, spicy dried coppa,
wet stones and black currants. The blend is exotic, perfectly
poised, delicious and full of all the charms and complexities
of Bien Nacido's unique terrior.