Ascona Vineyard Syrah, 2021

Upon harvest, we simply place the fruit in small open top fermenters as 100% whole clusters. We keep the fermenters cold for 3-5 days, before allowing them to warm up to room temperature and ferment spontaneously on native yeast. The ferments are tasted daily to assess the maceration and extraction. We pressed after ~15 days on skins to neutral French oak barriques, and bottled after 9 months elevage. This wine is unfined and unfiltered. Please expect some solids in the bottle especially with age. Located at ~2500 feet of elevation along South Skyline the Santa Cruz Mountains, Ascona Vineyard is farmed organically. The soils are ancient marine sedimentary deposits of loosely consolidated sandstone and siltstone, with an average southwest exposure. Warm, sunny days and cool, foggy nights are hallmarks of this site. This strong diurnal temperature variation permits phenolic ripening and stem maturation, while preserving fresh natural acidity.