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What We Say 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
Today’s exceptional Syrah is truly a wine of great distinction. Rich and bold, well structured with generous aromas and flavors, a wine that stands on its own and will also compliment the boldest of kitchen creations. Epiphany’s winemaker Blair Fox blows us away with today’s delicious selection.
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Mission Codename: Geronimo!
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Return to our good friends at Epiphany Cellars and retrieve their delicious, 90+ point, award-winning, Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Epiphany Cellars
Wine Subject: 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah
Winemaker: Blair Fox
Backgrounder:
France’s Rhone Valley stretches from Vienne in the north down to the Arles in the south may be best known for its intricate blends of red varietals as demonstrated by its legendary Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And, the white varietals of this region are not to be underestimated. It is in the spirit of these unique Terrior driven varietals that inspires today’s selection. Syrah, a native to the Rhone Valley also finds an excellent home in California’s wine growing regions, and in tasting today’s exceptional wine, we are sure you’ll agree.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Very dark and deep purple, with a darker core that is nearly black, with just a hint of clarity. The color remains dense to the very edges and, when swirled, widely spaced thin legs hang, color stained, on the side of the glass before slowly descending to the wine below.
Smell – Bold and expressive with earthy, savory and spicy aromas that frame dark, ripe and rich blackberry, boysenberry, dark plum and cassis. These bold aromas are followed by a more delicate floral notes, zesty smoky and toasted oak, and coffee.
Feel – Rich, deep and full-bodied, this dry wine generously expands over the palate. Well developed, the wine shows off fine, sturdy and firm grained tannins. A soft acidity and textured dark minerality reach the far corners of the palate as a touch of spice hits on the tip of the tongue, creating a full and chewy mouthfeel.
Taste – Plush and rich with the dark black fruit, earthy and savory notes blending with a touch of peppery spice that lingers, matching the other complex flavors that are found on the nose. Plump and spicy, smoky toasted oak frames the fruit against hints of vanilla and coffee.
Finish – Dark, ripe black fruit and other complex flavors take hold of the palate, lingering long into the finish as the sturdy structure lasts and lasts, drying the tongue and inviting another mouthwatering sip.
Conclusion – The 2007 Epiphany Cellars Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah is a delicious, full-bodied and chewy Syrah that both packs an aroma and flavorful punch but has great depth of complexity when explored fully. This is a wine that you can eat by itself or enjoy with bold and rich game meats. We paired this lovely wine with locally raised grilled lamb, perfectly seasoned with Herbes de Provence. Enjoy this wine now or cellar for the next five to ten years.
Mission Report:
WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER
SUBJECT: Blair Fox
DATE OF BIRTH: October 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH: Santa Barbara, CA
WINE EDUCATION: B.S. Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis
CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Enologist for Fess Parker Winery ’99, Winemaker Sunstone Winery 99-02, Consultant winemaker Fess Parker Winery 02, Vintage Winemaker- Haselgrove Winery- McLaren Vale South Australia 03, Associate Winemaker in charge of the Rhone Varietal programs at Fess Parker 03-05, Head Winemaker for Fess Parker Winery 05-present
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: I spend a lot of time in the vineyard because I feel that wines are truly made in the vineyard. I try to show the different qualities of the different vineyards and create wines with distinct varietal character.
SIGNATURE VARIETAL: I have always been particularly fond of Syrah.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Traveling throughout the Rhone Valley in France and tasting some of the best examples of Syrah and other Rhone varietals the world has to offer.
WINEMAKER QUOTE: I feel privileged to work with some of the best vineyards and fruit in Santa Barbara County.
WINEMAKER INTERVIEW
AGENT WHITE: Greetings, Blair. It’s great to be with you, again. Our operative’s love your wines. We are thrilled to be showing your 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.
BLAIR: Thank you for showing my wine today!
WHITE: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?
BLAIR: My parents were always traveling the globe and bringing home wines to be drunk around the dinner table. I was planning on going to medical school to become a doctor but was lured into the Viticulture and Enology program at UC Davis.
WHITE: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?
BLAIR: I really enjoyed the viticulture side of the program, but then fell in love with the enology courses and being able to see the conversion of grapes to a final wine.
WHITE: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?
BLAIR: I feel the best wines are made in the vineyard. You have to be diligent with your vineyard practices to grow grapes worthy of making great wine. It is all about fruit quality, canopy management and managing your yields to produce the most exciting wines possible.
WHITE: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?
BLAIR: I am impressed by all great wines made around the world. I have gained experience making wines in two different hemispheres and like a sponge have absorbed as much knowledge from every winemaker I have ever worked with.
WHITE: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.
BLAIR: As an exploratory mission, we decided to search out some of the best vineyards in different growing regions that would be a counterpoint stylistically to the great Syrahs of Santa Barbara. Fortunately, we found a renowned vineyard to work with in Stagecoach, and the results are everything we hoped for after bringing the grapes down to our Los Olivos facility on temperature-controlled trucks.
WHITE: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?
BLAIR: This is an earthy, meaty, dense wine that needs something equally meaty to stand up to it. My call would be a leg of lamb roast with rosemary, garlic, and sea salt.
WHITE: In your opinion, what makes the Stagecoach Vineyard so special?
BLAIR: The Stagecoach Vineyard is perched about 1,800 feet above the Napa Valley floor and benefits from the well-drained oxidized soils, southernly exposure and slightly cooler night-time temperatures associated with mountain vineyards. I personally love Syrah vineyards planted in that red dirt… it reminds me of my time in Mc Laren Vale.
WHITE: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?
BLAIR: We are in the middle of racking and blending a lot of our wines right now. I taste every barrel for quality and defects to make sure only the best wines are produced.
WHITE: Who do you make wine for?
BLAIR: I make wines to be enjoyed by all. At Epiphany Cellars we specialize in the production of Rhone Varietal wines and blends. I want these wines to be balanced with intense fruit character, rich mouthfeel and beautiful aromatics.
WHITE: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?
BLAIR: I am very casual about my approach to wine. I feel wines are best drunk with food, but are also great as an aperitif or after dinner. I feel you should drink what you enjoy regardless of price or region. It is fun to be adventurous with wine and see what else is out there.
WHITE: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?
BLAIR: I love Syrah and would choose something like an old Grange from Penfolds or Cote Rotie from the Northern Rhone.
WHITE: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!
BLAIR:Thanks!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Epiphany Cellars in Solvang can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Epiphany Cellars
Awards & Accolades:
92 Points – The Rhone Report
92 Points – Robert Parker -“This Syrah is an earthy, meaty effort with dense, charcoal-infused blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with hints of espresso, tar, and jus de viande. Pure, complex, and full throttle, this is a Syrah to drink over the next 7-10 years.”
Double Gold – The San Francisco International Wine Competition
About This Wine:
As an exploratory mission, we decided to search out some of the best vineyards in different growing regions that would be a counterpoint stylistically to the great Syrahs of Santa Barbara. Fortunately, we found a renowned vineyard to work with in Stagecoach, and the results are everything we hoped for after bringing the grapes down to our Los Olivos facility on temperature-controlled trucks. The Stagecoach Vineyard is perched about 1,800 feet above the Napa Valley floor and benefits from the well-drained oxidized soils, southernly exposure and slightly cooler night-time temperatures associated with mountain vineyards.
Look for open, inviting aromatics that exhibit more feminine floral notes backed by rich, concentrated briary fruit flavors of boysenberry and huckleberry. You will find attractive toast and chocolate characteristics derived from 21 months of barrel aging in predominantly new Francois Freres oak. Finally, the big, intense tannins give this wine plenty of structure and indicate that it will certainly be an age-worthy candidate for the cellar.
About The Winery:
When Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950’s, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. So too did the purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley change the course of the Parker family’s history.
Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape-growing region, Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “ Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small. “The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.
The characters Fess portrayed, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, inspired generations of Americans. Throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s Fess was at the pinnacle of a television career that has an unprecedented impact upon American popular culture. But is was Fess’ entrepreneurial spirit that prompted his leaving Hollywood to go into business for himself. The traits that Crockett and Boone embodied – integrity, resourcefulness and good humor — carried over to Fess’ personal life and formed the foundation upon which the family business was built. First-class hospitality has always been at the core of their ventures, first as hoteliers and eventually with the opening of the winery.
Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since it’s inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one.
About The Winemaker:
BLAIR FOX – Head Winemaker – Graduating from UC Davis in 1999 with a combined degree in Viticulture and Enology, Blair Fox gained winemaking experience at Sunstone Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley (1999-2001), and at Haselgrove Winery – a custom-crush winery in McLaren Vale, Australia (2003).
He also traveled through France’s Rhône Valley before returning to his hometown of Santa Barbara. He then joined Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard as Associate Winemaker, overseeing the Rhône varietal wines. Fox had previously consulted in the vineyard for the winery’s 2002 harvest.
“Having focused on the winery’s estate Syrah and Rhône varietal vineyards, I’m excited to add on the responsibility for Ashley’s and Bien Nacido vineyards and control the Burgundian part of our portfolio (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay),” said Fox. “The vineyards and clonal selection here are of such high quality, and the Parkers are a great family to work for.”
Fox continues the stylistic direction set by Eli Parker when capturing the terroir of the vineyards. He aims to continue raising the bar for the award-winning Fess Parker wines, such as the 2001 Rodney’s Vineyard Syrah (91pts, Wine Advocate), 2002 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir (93pts, Wine Spectator), and 2001 American Tradition Reserve Syrah, (92pts, Wine Advocate).
Technical Analysis:
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Appellation: Napa Valley
Vineyard Designation: 100 % Stagecoach Vineyard in the Napa Valley
Harvest Date: 10/4/07
Acid: 0.732 g/100ml
PH: 3.81
Aging: 22 months in 60% New French Oak
Alcohol: 15.6%
Production: 147 Cases
