The Malm Syrah contains 92% Syrah from the hills of the Mayacamas Mountains, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from a 45-year-old Cabernet vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley. The Mayacamas are known for their unflinchingly coarse soil. The vineyard is on a rocky site where 250 tons of rock were removed prior to planting. Even so, the vineyards scrape for every bit of moisture they can find in spite of 100" of rainfall each year. A stressful growing condition and a long hang time contribute to the final wine's concentration and complexity.
Malm wines are made in the vineyard, and we cannot stress the importance of this vineyard's location. Wines from this location are some of the best wines of the world. The neighboring vineyards sell to the finest wineries in California, including Kistler, Dumol, Hartford Court, and Patz & Hall.
Eighty percent of this wine is from the estate's vineyard, so they were able to keep a close eye on the vines during the growing season, and harvest only pristine fruit. The grapes were cold-soaked for five days, then the fruit was hand-punched several times a day to get maximum extraction. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed to French, American , and Hungarian oak barrels. Fourteen months later only the best barrels were assembled to make the blend. Only 450 cases of this handcrafted wine were produced.
Combining Syrah with Cabernet Sauvignon is a common practice in Australia. It's just beginning to find favor in California, and we've often wondered why it's taken so long. While Syrah is one of the most popular wines in the world, it can be a bit cumbersome on its own, especially when grown in the best areas like Malm's mountain vineyards. While we think of Cabernet Sauvignon from this region as being big and buxom, using it tames the Syrah. The Cabernet brings out the best in the Syrah, resulting in a a true expression of Syrah's massive qualities.
It all works. Syrah offers large quantities of game and earth flavors matched with some blueberry and plum fruit components. These flavors are tamed by Cabernet's rich cherry components, and are complimented by Cabernet's own blueberry essences. Together they make a wonderful wine to enjoy with this summer's grilled steaks, or to cellar for another season.
July 2009 Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf)
