From the wine archives:
2017 Peay Vineyards Les Titans Estate Syrah, Sonoma Coast
Les Titans
“the Giants, the Gods”
We farm grapes on the West Sonoma Coast which is also known as the Redwood Coast. Free of human appetite, redwoods thrive on the California coast as they need wet and cool air to grow and create their own moist and chilly microclimate under their overstories. They are also very productive sinks for carbon and prolifically produce the oxygen we inhale. To walk in a redwood forest is to walk on another planet, a majestic and peaceful one.
Les Titans pays tribute to the magnificent and enormous old growth redwood trees that surround our vineyard and play a vital role in creating the timeless magic of our place. Les Titans is the more muscular of our two estate Syrah featuring dark fruit, charcuterie, black pepper, leather and game. It is not a bruiser, however, with the refreshing acidity and brightness lending the wine grace and elegance. Les Titans is a blend of four of the six clones we grow on our eight steep, terraced acres each clone playing a key role in the blend’s profile. We only make 200-300 cases in any given vintage and age the wines 16 months in barrel and just under two years in bottle before release.
And, lest you have not heard us say it before, we should state that cold climate Syrah – like Peay Syrah – is really the red wine you want to drink when you head to your cellar for something that pairs well with food. It has the flavor profile that plays well with a piece of red meat (iron, blood, red and black fruits, herbal notes, high acid) while also being light enough on its feet to complement tomato dishes, fowl, pork, and roasted vegetables. At least half the time we head to the cellar for a bottle of Pinot noir or Cabernet we emerge cradling a bottle of cold climate Syrah. It represents more than half of what we have in our cellars and may in yours, too, once you give in to it.
For those who have been reading our newsletter for a few years, it is clear I love cold climate Syrah for the complexity and downright deliciousness it can offer at the dining table. Our Syrah vines are not very productive and are located in one of the coldest sites growing the variety on Earth. The cool fall weather retains the olive, pepper, floral, and meat aromas that are cooked out in warmer locations. Being in northern California at a lower altitude than other areas making cool climate Syrah, however, we can have a longer growing season and can – must—ripen through the month of October. As such, we also find red and blue fruit and floral aromas that stay fresh in our skins and the flavors counter-balance the savory notes. The 2017 Les Titans has a smoky, black olive character lightly coating a blackberry and cassis fruit quality. There is some roundness to the mid-palate though there is bright acidity, as always. This wine is yummy right now and will age beautifully for as long as you can hold on to it.
Reviews for this wine
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the 2017 Estate Syrah Les Titans opens very slowly in the glass, revealing layers of nuance with time: coffee, bitter chocolate and mint leaves emerge from fresh blackcurrant fruit with notes of iron, dried violets, lavender and aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is firm and grainy with bright pops of freshness and crunchy, peppery fruits, finishing long and understated. This is a bit less flashy than its 2016 counterpart but lovely just the same. 275 cases were made.
While Peay’s Syrah La Bruma is accessible today, the 2017 Syrah Estate Les Titans is anything but. Powerful and tightly wound, Les Titans shows the more savory side of Syrah. Inky dark fruit, cured meats, black pepper, sage, smoke and grilled herbs infuse the 2017 with striking varietal character. Bold and pungent, with tons of Syrah character, the Titans dazzles from the very first taste. I won’t be surprised if it is even better in another few years’ time. For now, though, the 2017 is one of the most austere, young Titans I can remember tasting.