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2002 DUTTON RANCH SYRAH
Russian River Valley
The Wine
Deep garnet in color, our Russian River Syrah is medium-bodied with aromas of
vanilla, plum and blueberry. The palate has a silky texture with flavors of
blackberry, currants, plum and pink grapefruit, with essence of vanilla, tobacco and cola. The round, smooth mouth-feel and soft forward fruit make this a lush and leisurely drinking Syrah. Serve with meals of game birds, venison, pork, lamb and rich sharp cheeses.
The Vineyards
Dutton Ranch farms over sixty-five unique, separate vineyards located in the coolest areas of the Russian River Valley, primarily in the sub-appellation known as the Green Valley. We have selected our favorite vineyards from our family’s Dutton Ranch to craft wine reflecting our vision of a signature Russian River Valley Syrah.
Cherry Ridge Vineyard is to be found on the east-facing slope that forms the western edge of the Green Valley. The vineyard is clement enough to ripen Syrah in this famous pinot noir and chardonnay growing region. Gail Ann’s Vineyard, named after Joe Dutton’s mother, is located in a “warmer spot of a cool region” on the northern part of the Russian River Valley. The vines grow in Wachika loam soil and show dark fruits with an abundance of chocolate flavors.
The Winemaking
After de-stemming in small fermenters, the must is cold-soaked for five days to gently extract spice and fruit characters. We punch down by hand up to four times daily, according to the stage of the fermentation. After fermentation, the wine is racked into French and American oak to age and bottled with minimal processing. In late spring, we carefully blend our lot together to allow the blend to marry and settle before we bottle with minimal processing.
Tech Notes 
2002 Dutton Ranch Syrah
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