Arnot-Roberts Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah 2010 Magnum
Arnot-RobertsGrape: Syrah
Vintage: 2010
Type: Red
This red is a 5-barrel bottling from Alder Springs Vineyard, high above the Mendocino County coast range at roughly 2,500 feet. Arnot-Roberts ferments syrah with whole clusters, stems and all, which at this elevation pushes the wine toward pepper and structure rather than fruit weight. The site is cold, exposed, and slow to ripen, so the fruit arrives with its acid still intact. 5 barrels was the entire run.
It displays a dark violet color that has held its rim after more than a decade, opening with aromas of black olive, cracked pepper, and dried blueberry. On the palate, the medium-bodied frame is cool and tightly wound, balancing dark fruit with a green-herb and iodine edge from the stems. Tannins are fine-grained and still firm, giving the wine a linear shape rather than a broad one. Acidity is high enough to make a 2010 taste considerably younger than it is. It finishes savory and long, with pepper and salt where the fruit trails off.