Drew Mendocino Ridge Perli Vineyard Syrah 2013
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Wine & Spirits
Third-generation landowner Steve Alden planted syrah on this windswept hilltop in 1999, the vines topping out at 2,200 feet. And Jason Drew, since he decamped from Santa Barbara to the Mendocino coast in 2005, has fashioned a number of dramatic syrahs from Alden’s vineyard. Over the years Drew has played with varying ripeness levels and percentages of whole bunches in his fermentations with syrah from the site; his evolving understanding of the vineyard paid off in 2013. This might be Drew’s best Perli syrah yet. It’s an alluring wine that’s as supple as velvet yet electrified by a beam of acidity, at once saturated with flavor and sharply etched. It feels like a tisane more than any kind of berry fruit, a cool wash of dark rose petals, rosemary, peppercorn and resinous lavender. Its transparent coastal pungency is irresistible.
Jason and Molly Drew started Drew eighteen years ago with a clear goal in mind: to craft small lot coastal wines that express site specificity and traditional varietal character. While the beginnings of Drew began in the Santa Rita Hills AVA in 2000, they transplanted their small operation to the Mendocino Coast in 2005 to establish their estate ranch and winery.
In 2004 they had stumbled upon an old 26-acre apple orchard for sale within the Mendocino Ridge Appellation. The Mendocino Ridge is the most westernmost AVA within Mendocino County located directly west and south west of Anderson Valley and directly north of the true Sonoma Coast. While others saw a daunting project in this old orchard property, Jason and Molly saw ancient oceanic soils, south facing slopes and a true coastal climate, with the ocean a mere 3.3 miles away. It didn't take long for them to decide to leap and leap they did.
They spent the following year drawing, planning and building their boutique winery. Spending that year living in a 19 ft Airstream trailer along with their two young boys, to ensure construction moved as planned. They eventually planted their 7-acre estate Pinot Noir vineyard, which produced its first crop in 2014. A milestone that was hard earned after 25 years in the wine industry. Jason is a true craftsman of his trade having spent many years honing his craft with his viticultural and winemaking background, having worked for several northern and central California estate winery and vineyards.
Drew continues to focus on small lot coastal Pinot Noir and Syrah from both Anderson Valley and the Mendocino Ridge. They continue their long-standing partnerships with several local vineyard growers who share their passion for sustainable and meticulous farming practices. Single vineyard sources are chosen for their climate, clonal selection and complexity of soil type. Winemaking practices remain focused on traditional methods that include whole cluster and native yeast fermentations, hand punchdowns and in most instances, no fining or filtering.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Essentially a northern extension of the Sonoma Coast AVA but part of Mendocino County, Mendocino Ridge is one of the rare appellations defined by elevation only. The Mendocino Ridge AVA is reserved only for vineyards at or above 1,200 feet between the Anderson Valley and Pacific Ocean.