Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Vineyard 2006
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I love the cooler vintages. This definitely ranks among the top 5 syrahs that I've produced from this special Bien Nacido Hillside block. It has the classic black pepper you get in cool vintages along with raspberries, cola, Provençal herbs with that nice touch of sweet French oak. This wine is a baby upon release... to enjoy young please decant a couple hours before you drink it so it can open up. If you buy some for the cellar, I'd recommend waiting until it's at least 8 years old and with the right storage this wine will easily go 15-20 years.
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The syrah vines at Bien Nacido's Z-Block were planted exclusively for Qupé in 1992; by 2006, they began to reach a sweet spot in their adolescence. Where earlier vintages of Hillside Estate may have been awkward on release, this '06 feels confident and sure, wrapping raspberry and plum flavors in strong tannins that mix smoke and earth. It gains freshness with air, the fruit lifted by peppery spice and cool acidity. It will reward patient cellaring.
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2008-
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In contrast to the Old World, Qupé focuses on cool climate expressions of Rhône varietals due to a distinctive geographical feature that sets them apart from most other regions of California, as all vineyards are all located in East-West valleys (vs North-South) which function as open windows to the cool Pacific Ocean. The benefit to the vineyards of being along the coast and running East-West is that the cold, moist air gets pulled in and creates a layer of morning cloud cover over the vines which reduces temperatures and sun exposure on the grapes. This is why cool climate varieties excel in the coastal regions of the Central Coast and allows Qupé to focus on cool climate expressions of Rhone varietals. East-West valleys on the Central Coast that Qupé sources from include Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Valley and Santa Rita Hills/Santa Ynez Valley.
The name "qupé" was chosen to honor the Chumash, the indigenous people of the Golden State's Central Coast and Channel Islands. In Chumash, "qupé" refers to the poppy, a flowering plant traditionally used for food and medicine. In 1903 the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) was officially designated the state flower, and every spring masses of the bright orange blossoms still blanket local hills and back country.