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Today, the most Syrah acreage is in San Luis Obispo County with 2,812 acres, followed by San Joaquin County with 1,973 acres and Sonoma County with 1,970 acres. Syrah's grape crush of 133,003 tons in 2009 accounted for less than four percent of the total state's winegrape crush.

T h e g r a p e s were sourced from some of C a l i f o r n i a ’ s most renowned Syrah vineyards. After a gentle crushing, the finished wine spent 10 months in 60% French and 40% American oak.

This wine delivers dynamic varietal intensity, flavor, concentration and structure. I t i s seduc t i ve, r i ch l y ba l an ced , go r geou s l y opulent and impossible to resist. This dense ruby Cal i fornia Syrah offers enticing aromas of mulberry, cigar box, and toasty vanilla. A sip of the unctuous liquid coats your mouth wi th pe r s i s t i ng f l avo r s o f gushing black fruit, pepper, eucalyptus, and coffee. A must with pulled pork.

his is the next in the series of "text speak" brands we found from X Winery in Napa Valley. These guys are not on most people’s radar, but that’s good for us. The quality for the price is exceptional at every level. We had a good time tasting through their offerings to pick the wines we thought were the best o f t he l o t , h e n c e t h e name, Have A Good Time.

Through DNA testing, Syrah has shown to

be a cross of a black variety, Dureza, and a white variety, Mondeuse, both with origins in France's Rhône region. The grape is also known as Sirah, and in Australia and South Africa, it is called Shiraz. It should not be confused with Petite Sirah, which is altogether a different grape variety, identified more recently as Durif.

Although Syrah acreage has existed in California for some time, such as in the pre-Prohibition plantings in Mendocino County, most of the substantial plantings have occurred in the 1990s.

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ITEM #: 311R1

Retail Price: $18.99/each Member Price: $9.99/each Reorder price: $8.99/each 52% Discount

Syrah

(See-rah)

2009

HAGT

California

Color: Dense ruby

Nose: Mulberry, cigar box and toasty vanilla

Palate: Black fruit, pepper, eucalyptus

Finish: Almost thick with lots of extract

Drink Now through 2015

WOMC RATING 92 Points

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