KEPLINGER 2019 SYRAH "HANGMAN'S" CARNEROS 750mL

From a beautiful, cool, perfectly-tended block in Hudson Vineyards which is situated next to an old Hangman's tree (in use until the early 1900s) hails a distinct Syrah with a dark (and luckily not so lurid) personality. This block sits up against the southern terminus of the Mayacamas range, resulting in soils which are a combination of volcanic and old maritime soils – meaning naturally shallow, stoney, well-drained, and ideally limiting, keeping this Hermitage clone of Syrah in low production.

In 2019, the Syrah was co-fermented with 6% whole cluster Viognier in one small lot. After 18 days on the skins, the free run was drained to a combination of 500L and 228L French Oak barrels (60% new) for 18 months of elevage before being bottled without fining or filtration. Only 200 cases produced!

JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "Another brilliant vintage for this cuvee, the 2019 Syrah Hangman's offers a beautiful bouquet of both red and blue fruits as well as classic cool-climate Syrah notes of bacon fat, violets, orange blossom, iron, and hints of tapenade. Full-bodied on the palate, it has a deep, layered, opulent mouthfeel, sweet tannins, no hard edges, and an incredible finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This magical Syrah will stand up to anything coming out of California today. It should evolve for 10-15 years."