Winemaker Notes
Clary Ranch is a stunning hillside planting in the heart of the Petaluma Gap near Tomales Bay. Paul Clary took a big risk in 2000 when he planted Pinot Noir and Syrah in this extremely cold and windy site. The ranch is now owned and tended by Drew Beuchley and the same crew that has worked these vines since they were planted. The Coast Range Mountains in Northern California run parallel to the coastline but take a sudden dip and nearly disappear around Bodega Bay in Sonoma County. It is at this point that cool air over the Pacific Ocean is drawn inland via convective forces through the Petaluma Gap, moderating the climate in this entire section of the Sonoma Coast. Their coldest vineyard for Syrah, Clary has been harvested as late as November 18th at under 12% alcohol. The protracted growing season paired with the sedimentary clay-loam soils slow the ripening and allow us to farm without irrigation resulting in fruit that is deeply pigmented and loaded with flavor. The resulting wines we have made exhibit soaring aromatics, expressive exotic spice notes, and high natural acidity that are hallmarks of this wind scraped vineyard.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Syrah Clary Ranch is striking in its beauty. A dark, savory wine, the Clary Ranch bursts from the glass with plums, black cherries, camphor, olives and black pepper. In other words, it is a textbook Syrah loaded with varietal character. Today, the finish is a bit fragile and the 100% whole clusters need time to integrate, so it will be interesting to see how things shape up next year. This is another dazzling wine from Arnot-Roberts. In 2011, this fruit didn’t come in until mid-November!
Range: 91-93
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.”
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.