Like all farmers, we at Hudson Vineyards are at the mercy of the weather. In 2006 our growing season both began and ended late. Following a cool, moist spring, bud break and bloom passed smoothly and in near perfect conditions producing a well balanced crop that needed little thinning. With the exception of two brief heat spikes in June and July, the summer proved quite mild, leading to the latest harvest on record. These conditions express themselves as richly flavored, elegant wines; a wine growers dream.
The 2006 Hudson Syrah was produced from Lucile’s Vineyard at Hudson Vineyards, from a heritage selection by John Alban. Harvested on October 26, the fruit came in ripe and soft with 27.0° Brix, 4.0 pH, and .53 total acidity and was dense with olive, white pepper, and spicy aromas. Nearly 20% of the fruit in the tank was uncrushed, to give a bit of whole cluster pepper and spice and to reach desired tannin levels. It was allowed to cold soak for 7 days for maximum color and flavor extraction, then the tank was gently warmed until the natural yeasts from the vineyard started fermenting. The peak temperature was 83 degree F and was never allowed to go below 73 degrees as it slowly finished after 19 days. From here it went to barrel in 80% new Billon Burgundy barrels. The smokey oak of Billon makes a wonderful compliment to the rich fruit and briary backbone of this vineyard. In the cool and dark of the cave it slowly progressed through malolactic fermentation over the next 3 months. No sulfur was added while the wine developed in barrel on its gross lees until just before bottling. Final blending happened in May 07. In this vintage the higher tannin press fraction was left out of the blend. It was bottled unfiltered and unfined in the summer of 2007. The wine may throw a bit of sediment while it ages.
This wine boasts impressive color, a brooding purple with a crimson rim. Reticent nose opens up to mulberry, tar and cocoa. Amazing depth and texture. A syrah that keeps pumping out flavor for minutes eventually coating the palate with sweet, dark fruit and black earth notes. Fine grained tannins keep the wine focused and savory. To maximize flavors, decant for an hour plus. Would pair excellently with chile rubbed rib eye.