Terra d'Oro Syrah 2002
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Other Vintages
2001-
Wine
Enthusiast
For more than 150 years, fortune seekers have been lured to California’s rugged Sierra Foothills. Though they once came for the gold, these days they come for the wine—Terra d’Oro, to be more specific. Handcrafted from some of Amador County’s most historic vineyards, these wines are rich indeed, full of the character and intensity that perfectly captures the essence of this "Land of Gold." As the first new post-prohibition winery in the Sierra Foothills, Terra d’Oro helped to return both Amador County and Zinfandel to the attention of fine wine aficionados everywhere and to remake the Sierra Nevada foothills as one of the best wine regions around.
Terra d’Oro quickly gained a reputation for crafting robust, full-flavored wines. They now have 400 acres of magnificent, sustainably grown estate vines- including historic, old vine vineyards producing delicious Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Chenin Viognier, Barbera, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and more. Their historic tasting room in Plymouth welcomes those seeking world-class wines.
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.”
Originally a source of oenological sustenance for gold-seeking miners of the mid-1800s, the Sierra Foothills was the first region in California to produce wines from European grape varieties. Located between Sacramento and the Nevada border, this area’s immigrant settlers chose to forgo growing the then-ubiquitous Mission grape and instead brought with them superior vines from the Old World to plant alongside mining camps.
Zinfandel has been the most important variety of this region since its inception, taking on a spicy character with brambly fruit and firm structure. Amador and El Dorado counties, benefiting from the presence of volcanic and granite soils, are home to the best examples. Bold, robust Rhône Blends and Barbera are also important regional specialties.