MacLaren Moaveni Vineyard Syrah 2014
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From a pocket of Sonoma County becoming known for quality Syrah, this wine is dense in jammy strawberry and blackberry flavors, with powerful espresso and compost notes—a celebration that's equal parts fruit and earth. Its expansive tannins suggest it will benefit from cellaring; enjoy 2020–2024.
Steve worked in France for 12 years in the electronics industry, and it was during this time that he developed a love of french cuisine and wine. Steve traveled throughout France, enjoying and learning about the many different wine regions, and it was on a visit to the Northern Rhone region where he fell in love with Syrah.
The electronics industry then brought Steve to the San Francisco Bay Area and he immediately began to explore the local wine regions and wineries. It was on one such exploration that Steve met Michael Talty of Talty winery and so began a great friendship and wine making apprenticeship. After working with Michael for a couple of harvests Steve started his own label MacLaren and made some of his beloved Syrah.
Now residing in Sonoma with his wife Heather, he has left the corporate life behind and is concentrating on growing their small wine company.
MacLaren's primary focus is on Syrah. It starts by searching for premium "cool climate" vineyards capable of producing fruit reminiscent of the Northern Rhone.
The wine making style is heavily influenced by the french wines Steve loves; Fruit forward, balanced, and elegant, making the wines food friendly and easy to pair with different dishes.
MacLaren's goal is to have each wine express its specific vineyard and terroir, but with a french accent. Steve also works every year to find a blend, from all of the vineyards, which represents the best of the vintage. He enlists the help of friends and wine club members in deciding on the final Drouthy Neebors blend. Going forward, MacLaren continues to search for additional Syrah vineyards, but also for vineyards whose terroir and varietal combine to enable a wine to be produced in the same food friendly style.
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.”
With boundaries overlapping the Sonoma Coast AVA and Sonoma Mountain AVA, Bennett Valley benefits from the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean just like its neighbors. Top grapes planted include Barbera, Pinot noir and Chardonnay, as well as Bordeaux and Rhone varieties.