Vintage
Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year – with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.

Vinification
The grapes were cold soaked prior to fermentation in open top fermentors and then pressed lightly to maintain a delicate balance between flavors, color and tannins. The small lots from the first vintage off both Dragonsleaf and Stone Farm vineyards were punched down by hand and aged in heavily toasted French oak barrels for months. Both of these Sonoma Valley vineyards produce generously concentrated fruit that melded together beautifully in the final blend. Alcohol 15.5%, T.A. .57, pH 3.94, Residual sugar .13.

Tasting Notes
This inaugural release from Dragonsleaf and Stone Farm Vineyard is a powerful Syrah that is layered with jammy fruit flavors but balanced by a nice amount of tannin to create a big, fully concentrated wine. The savory finish favors richer dishes of smoked duck, spicy mushroom risotto and pesto sauces.

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