Goldback Wines, Rogue Valley (Oregon) Syrah 2018

 This is a blockbuster that showcases Syrah’s full throttle concentration and purity and is all about the grape and the site.  Winemaker Andy Myer sought out the nearby Meadowlark Vineyard with its granite soils and sustainable farming.  But the site is also very windy which forces the vines to shut down frequently and contributes to a long growing season.  This effect is similar, says Myer, to that of the Mistral wind in the Rhône.  Fermentation lasted for 30 days with 33% whole clusters.  After aging for 18 months in neutral oak, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.  The resulting wine is dark purple and loaded with ripe plum notes and a floral, wild thyme character.  Medium full, it is concentrated with dense, ripe black fruit flavors and some black pepper.  Plush and seamless, it will benefit from a couple of years of bottle aging, but could age for a decade or more.