Syrah: The Next Big Varietal in Amador
With my enthusiasm for California Syrah coupled with upcoming decision of where I should get my Syrah grapes, I was happy to read an article, Syrah Is the Future of Amador, Vintner Says, by Mike Dunne from the Sacromento Bee about Amador county.
He profiles the reknowned region's winemaker, Bill Easton, who believes that the area's syrah will surpass zinfandel. To quote the article:
"Syrah ages a whole lot better," explains Easton. "As much as I love zinfandel, it just doesn't age like syrah does. Syrah is going to excel in this region, because it has longevity as well as early appeal."
He also believes that the Sierra foothills parallels in soil, climate, topography and the like between the Rhone Valley. The article explains, "For syrah, that "minerality" is best expressed through the decomposed granite and volcanic soils of the Sierra foothills, argues Easton."
Easton has two labels: Easton which is reserved for traditional Amador County varieties and Domaine de la Terre Rouge, reserved for wines made with grapes traditionally associated with France's Rhone Valley -- mourvedre, viognier, grenache and syrah, among a few others
Johnathan Lach's from Cedarville Syrah has also been getting excellent review. I plan on tasting his 1999 Syrah and 2000 Syrah with Tom. Depending on their flavor profile, I may look into sourcing my Syrah from Amador County for this year's harvest.
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