Vintage
2016
Vineyard Designation
Paolo's Vineyard
Syrah
2016 was another great vintage at Montemaggiore! The growing season and harvest were picture perfect, allowing the fruit to mature at a moderate pace. Stylistically the 2016 Syrah is similar to the 2013 with its balance and multi-layered intensity.
- Vineyard
- Tasting Notes
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- Accolades
- Vintages
Vineyard Profile: Estate Vineyard
Located on a mountainside high above Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, the rocky soils of Montemaggiore's estate vineyards produce intensely flavored grapes at naturally low yields. Using biodynamic practices and organic materials, we farm Paolo's Vineyard without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.
2016 Vintage
With excellent quality and moderate yields, 2016 is the final vintage of Montemaggiore estate wines. The growing season started auspiciously with the first normal rainfall after four years of drought. Due to prior drought stress, the grapevines bore smaller berries and a slightly lighter crop than usual. Pollination was thankfully very even. The summer ripening season enjoyed slightly cooler than average daytime highs—perfect for deeply colored, complex wines. Mid-September brought some unseasonably cool temperatures which slowed down and spread out the harvest, a bonus for every winemaker. All our 2016 wines have great depth of flavor—a wonderful farewell vintage!
Winemaker's Goal
The Paolo's Vineyard Syrah is Montemaggiore's flagship wine, thus the ultimate expression of our estate mountainside vineyards. Typically 100% Syrah, this wine has rich and intense flavors balancing black fruit with spicy, earthy, savory notes.
Food Pairings
Being medium to full-bodied, Montemaggiore Syrah goes well with foods that are likewise. The earthy flavors in mushrooms, the smokey flavors in grilled meats, the slightly gamey flavors in lamb echo the aromas in the Paolo's Vineyard Syrah.
This wine pairs well with marinated tri-tip, lamb kebabs, pasta bolognese, grilled portobellos, pork tenderloin, bacon rösti, and sheep's milk cheeses.
Consider our recipes for wild mushroom and brie crostini, salsa di parmigiano, mushroom risotto with truffle oil, chipotle sweet potato gratin, salmon grilled on a cedar plank, bucatini amatriciana, and lamb burgers.
Accolades