2024 Syrah – Dell Valley Vineyard

A big wine with thick blackberry compote and savory plum jerky aromas. Interwoven with the fruit are notes of slate, sun-dried tomato, and terra cotta. The palate has grand tannins, indulgent weight, and finishing aromas of leather and smoldering wood.

Fermented in large oak tank. Aged for 16 months in 20% second-use Saury Lumiere (French) oak barrels, and 80% neutral barrels.

Pair with charred meats and vegetables, lamb, or steak au poivre.

Originally planted in 1987, the vines at Dell Valley Vineyard are thick and deeply rooted in the sloped sandy, caliche-type soils of West Texas. Sitting outside of any currently designated American Viticultural Area, or AVA, this vineyard is mightily tended by Phillipe, whose experience with growing grapevines began at an early age on the French island of Corsica.

Dell Valley Vineyard, Hudspeth County. Age of Vines: 9 years. Soil Type: Sandy loam over caliche with river rock. Elevation: 3,750 feet.