A Donkey and Goat Winery

Vintage: 2007
Appellation: Mendocino Vineyard: McDowell & Perli Varietal: Syrah Clone: Estrella + pre-clone & 174+877 Age: 60-90 yrs & 15 yrs Elevation: 950 & 1350 feet Soil: Grevalley loam & Clay loam over sandstone bedrock Yield: 1.5 & 2-2.5 tons/acre		Harvested: Oct 11 & Oct 26 (2007) Pressed: Nov 3 & Nov 17 (2007) Blend: 100% Syrah Maceration: 23 & 22 days in open top wood vats Barrel aging: 18 mos. in 1-3 yr FO barrels Bottled: Unfiltered on July 14, 2009 Production: 186 cases Release date: Fall 2009

For years we’ve just moved whatever wines did not make our final blends into a tank and that became our BBQ drinking wine for friends and family. That worked okay when we made 500 cases but with 2000 cases annually we needed more friends! With our new label we introduce our Appellation Series which gives us a place to send the barrels that were not selected for vineyard designates (VD’s). It is truly a win win. The VD wines benefit from increased blending precision and we now have an every day wine where our only complaint may be it’s too good! We still use wood vats (we do not make wine in plastic), pigeage à pied (foot stomping) and wild yeasts (without nutrients or other enhancers) to get things going. We still punch down by hand up to 3x daily and age in a mix of 1-3 yr old French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is still natural and we stay sur lie longer than most. The point is we do not know which barrels are selected until after vinification. We are not making wine for the series but rather making the best wine we can for the vineyard designates and now we have a home for the unselected barrels and can serve better wine at the BBQs!

Earth, meaty notes and minerality are immediate and then just a hint of pepper and dark chocolate. The palate offers rich red fruits. Supple and chalky tannins provide a lingering finish.