We took a vintage off from Bayo in 2005, but are back with a 2006 that might be the best Syrah we have made to date. 2006 was an excellent vintage, giving us wines of great fruit purity and lovely aromas, across the board. The 2006 vintage was the first to be made in our new winery, so for the first time we were masters of our own destiny (well, as much as you can be when it comes to winemaking!).
Beating the drum for cool climate Syrah can be a lonely occupation, but when a wine like this comes around I am reminded of how fantastic cool climate new world Syrah can be. It is definitely not “imitation Hermitage,” but its own creature, ripe on the palate and “sauvage,” meaty and spicy in the aromas and flavors. And like always, the color is an unbelievably saturated deep red. But for all the intensity of color, aroma and flavor, it is surprisingly gentle on the tongue, fleshy, broad and rich. It’s a mouthful, and will definitely reward laying down for several years. Perhaps it’s not as intense and extracted as the 2004 vintage, but it has more varietal character and perfume.