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2009 Fisher Vineyards Syrah Hidden Terrace Vineyard Sonoma County
- Syrah
- Written by Fred Swan
- Wednesday, 11 April 2012 02:22
Fisher Vineyards’ Hidden Terrace Vineyard is part of their Sonoma County estate which is located on Spring Mountain benchland off of St. Helena Road. The winery is a good half mile or so from the main road and this particular vineyard is “hidden” even farther back. However, if you visit the winery, you can’t help but see the steep and rounded hill on which Syrah is planted in widely-spaced terraces
The dome-shaped Hidden Terrace Vineyard at Fisher Vineyards in Sonoma County. The soil has an unusual volcanic composition.
From the side, you can see the steepness that necessitates hand-farming despite the wide spacing.
Turning left from that vantage point shows the vineyards altitude and clear, western exposure.
The 2009 Fisher Vineyards Syrah Hidden Terrace Vineyard has the spirit of a Northern Rhone red but it’s own, terroir-driven personality. The body is on the generous side of moderate, as are the ripe, pleasantly chalky tannins. There is briary blackberry on the nose and chewy black fruit on the palate. That aside, the wine is savory: black pepper, black olives, garrigue and dusty trail. The 2009 Fisher Syrah is very good now, but will be even better with a few years of bottle age. If you drink it now, decanting may unlock additional flavor but is certainly not required. This Syrah will be a versatile food wine, but goes down well on its own. Drink now through 2020. Highly Recommended.
2009 Fisher Vineyards Syrah Hidden Terrace Vineyard Sonoma County
Rating: Highly Recommended
Drink: Now through 2020
Bottling Date: July, 2011
Closure: Cork
Production: 190 cases
Retail Price: $65, available direct through the mailing list
Blend: 100% Syrah
Origin: Hidden Terrace Vineyard (estate), Sonoma County
Fermentation: whole berry fermentation in new French oak barrels and open top tanks, bottled unfiltered
Aging: 21 months on primary lees in French oak barrels, 50% new
Alcohol: 14.1%
The wine above was purchased for review.
If you like Rhone-variety wines, don’t miss the upcoming Hospice du Rhone on April 27 & 28. For a taste of HdR, take a look at these articles too:
Looking Forward to Hospice du Rhone 2012
10 Big Wine Events to Look Forward to in Early 2012
Recap of Hospice du Rhone 2011 - Day One
Recap of Hospice du Rhone 2011 - Day Two
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This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Photos by Fred Swan. Copyright 2012 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.