Io Nielson Vineyard Syrah 2006
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Nielson Vineyard is located in Santa Maria Valley, one of California's coolest grape-growing appellations with one of the longest growing seasons in the world. The well-drained, lean soils and direct access to cool Pacific Ocean breezes and fog funneled to the vineyards by transverse mountain ranges make the valley one of America's premier growing regions for Burgundian and Rhone varietals. Fruit for this estate-grown wine comes from the heart of the original Nielson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County's oldest commercial vineyard, planted in 1964.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A French northern Rhone look-alike, the medium-bodied 2006 Syrah Nielson Vineyard reveals notes of pepper, tapenade, red cherries, black currants, figs, plums, and spice box. Consume it over the next 4-5 years.
Fruit for Io is sourced from two outstanding Santa Barbara County vineyards-the Byron Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley and the Stolpman Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley. The temperate, marine-influenced climate and lean soils of both appellations are vitally important to the development of fully ripe, world-class quality fruit. Santa Barbara County enjoys an exceptionally long growing season due in part to its southern latitude that prompts an early budbreak. Cool temperatures further extend the maturation cycle and result in a long hang time for the grapes-critical to achieving wines of great character and concentration.
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.”
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.