19 Colibri Syrah Clone 99 CO-Ferment

96% Syrah, 4% Roussanne

The late-ripening French clone 99 was taken directly from the famous Beaucastel Vineyard in the Southern Rhone of France near Avignon. Despite having bigger berries and clusters than most other clones, it consistently gives rise to the richest, darkest wines at the Colibri Vineyard. Classically, Viognier is co-fermented with Syrah to bring out color and imbue the wine with an elegance that only white grapes can provide. Unfortunately, we were forced to pull out all the Viognier at Colibri because it emerged so early in the spring and was thus frosted frequently. Roussanne, on the other hand, comes out quite late and the last picks of Syrah can be combined with the very first of the Roussanne. This robust, rich, dark wine has all the power of the 99 but has beautiful citrus and pear accenting and framing the classic Syrah flavor profile.