White Oak Syrah 2001
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Established in 1981, White Oak Winery, a small boutique winery, is dedicated to producing small quantities of distinguished lots. These are carefully crafted wines that reflect the uniqueness of the vineyards and climates of northern California's Sonoma and Napa counties.
Located in the heart of the Alexander Valley, they farm 750 acres of estate vineyards. Roughly 10% of this fruit is used in White Oak wines with the balance being sold to other well-known wineries. Their Russian River Valley vineyards produce Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, while the Napa Valley vineyards produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.