Winemaker Notes
Blend: 78% Syrah, 21% Petite Sirah, 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.5% Zinfandel
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Red Blend Prequel, a Syrah-based blend from vineyards in Sonoma, is a total knockout that makes such a strong statement as to the potential of Sonoma County. Dark, bold and savory, the Prequel offers a fabulous mix of fruit intensity and savoriness.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Always a fruit-forward, sexy, incredibly charming wine, the 2018 Prequel is no exception and sports a dense purple hue as well as smoky, meaty notes of blackberries, cured meats, peppery herbs, and chocolate. It's rich, full-bodied, and mouth-filling while staying balanced and light on its feet.
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Wine Enthusiast
Quite deep in color and rich in black fruits, the wine wraps blackberries and blueberries in moderate tannins and a full body. It will be fun to glug this hearty, fruity wine with pizza, burgers and barbecue.
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.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.