Winemaker Notes
Varietal Compositon: 94% Syrah and 6% Viognier, co-fermented including 25% whole Syrah clusters
Professional Ratings
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Both optimally ripened and youthfully tight with an attractive overlay of creamy oak to its ample, mildly peppery, blackberry fruit, Ramey’s Sonoma Coast bottling may be a bit backward at the moment but conveys a fine sense of stuffing and substance. Its early suppleness is countered by a fairly full dose of tannin, yet its fruit never falters or dries. Age is demanded rather than simply advised, and its recommendation is conditional on a good five years of patience.
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.