2006 Quarzo Amador Syrah

The second offering of our Syrah, Quarzo, hails again from the vineyard of Ann Kraemer, a good friend and highly skilled viticulturist from the Napa Valley. Ann and her family have developed a stunningly beautiful vineyard in the Sierra Foothills, near the town of Sutter Creek, in Amador County, an area that was farmed by Italian immigrants in the 1870’s. It is a rugged, hilly landscape, with soils rich in iron and volcanic rock, with quartz crystals intermixed. It is these unique quartz crystals, which inspired the name Quarzo, Italian for “quartz.” Much has been said of the potential to produce world-class Rhone varietals in this area. We feel that, given the care and attention to detail that Ann gives her vines, this vineyard will produce some of the best wines from the region. The 2006 Quarzo is dominated by aromas of wild blackberry, dried blueberries, charcoal, smoke, and orange liqueur. There is substantial palate weight, but the wine has soft, supple tannins, leaving the mouth coated with flavor: ripe berries, crushed stones, smoke and baking spices.

120 cases produced