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Wine Recommendation
Sand T Cellars
2004 Syrah, Brookside Vineyard(Napa Valley)
Soon after Tom & Susan Ridley moved to the Napa Valley thirty years ago, neighbor George Hendry of Hendry Cellars urged them to plant the 3-acre meadow in front of their house with vines. Wisely taking his advice, they did so, naming it Brookside Vineyard since the Redwood Creek flows through the property.
Situated in heavy clay soil at the base of Mt. Veeder at 300 feet above the valley floor, the vineyard is planted to Syrah clones 877 and 300 which are grafted on 101-14 rootstock. The vines are spaced 5’x7’ and are cordon trained and spur pruned. When Syrah guru Gary Miller purchased fruit from this site in 2001, he put the vineyard name on the map. It is now a highly sought after fruit source.
The Ridleys produced only 150 cases of this warm, inviting, ruby red wine. It is an excellent expression of the varietal, with notes of mulberry, black and green peppercorn and lilac. Vanilla bean flavors come out along with light oak tannins on the palate, and the wine has a long, mouthwatering, chewy finish.
Reviewed November 30, 2006 by Catherine Fallis.
The Wine
Winery: Sand T Cellars |
The Reviewer
Catherine Fallis
Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC, a company committed to bringing the joy of wine, food, and good living into the lives of everyday people, Catherine is creator of the “grape goddess guides to good living,” a series of books, television presentations, seminars, and e-learning programs. The fifth woman in the world to become a Master Sommelier, grape goddess Catherine Fallis is still very much down-to-earth. |