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With years of practice, Cline Cellars has clearly mastered the secret to making gorgeously aromatic and succulent Syrah. The violets, coffee and black pepper on the nose - not to mention the structure and savory meaty notes on the palate — could suggest a coveted vintage from the Northern Rhone. But this is a California wine that’s priced to enjoy everyday. Cline Cellars sources its Syrah exclusively from estate vineyards in Sonoma’s newest AVA, the Petaluma Gap, where the climate gives the wine fresh acidity, pure fruit and a vibrant mouthfeel. A light but deft hand at winemaking maintains the purity of the fruit with just a short period of time in oak. Take in the aromas of black pepper and savory herbs, flavors of licorice, olive and boysenberry, and try not to pour a second glass!
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay may seem ubiquitous in Northern California’s wine industry, but it wasn’t always that way. Seeing the old vineyards near his grandfather’s ranch in Oakley, California, Fred Cline learned that wine growers 100 years ago preferred Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) and Carignan – often planted together in one vineyard as a “field blend.” Because this pattern is found in old vineyards throughout the state, it must have been a conscious choice among winegrowers back then. They must have understood that Zin and the Rhone varieties perform better under California’s dry but variable conditions than the finicky, slow-ripening Cabernet. These vines can thrive without irrigation (a.k.a. “dry-farming”) and the blending of grapes with different qualities would have ensured that the finished wine attained a proper balance of sugar, acid, ripeness and tannin.
In order to pursue his interest in Zinfandel, Rhone grape varieties and old vineyards, Fred Cline founded Cline Cellars near Oakley in 1981. The Ancient Vines bottlings are made from grapes grown in these low-yielding, Contra Costa County vineyards. In 1991, Cline moved his winemaking facility to a large ranch in Carneros, the cool, wind-swept district just north of San Pablo Bay between Napa and Sonoma counties. Even though Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate the vineyards here, Cline decided to plant Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussane and has proven that even in a cool climate these varietals can develop intense but elegant fruit and perfume. A more recent acquisition lies near Petaluma, in Sonoma County, and Cline Cellars has now added Pinot Noir to its roster of Zinfandel and Rhone reds and whites.
A focus on Zinfandel and Rhone varietal wines has not always been easy, but Cline Cellars has repeatedly earned accolades and critical acclaim. Over the years, many of the Zinfandels and others have earned 90 points and up in the Wine Spectator, and Wine & Spirits has called the Ancient Vines Mourvèdre “one of the top 100 values.” It doesn’t get much better than this: hand-crafted wines from sustainably-farmed vineyards that are intimately connected to California’s winemaking history. The wines of Cline Cellars are deep and rich with elegance, complexity and flavor AND available at reasonable prices.
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Appellation(s) | Sonoma Coast |
| Winery | Cline |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | Red |
| Varietal(s) | Syrah |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 9.0 x 29.5 |
| Case Size | 36.0 x 27.0 x 30.0 |
| Alcohol | 14.0% |
| Product Code | CL19SS |
| UPC | 098652130022 |
Dark purple with aromas of blackberries, violets, black pepper and coffee open up to flavors of juicy boysenberry, olive and smoked meats. Fresh acidity gives balance to structured tannins. An intense wine at a great price!
Production of this wine began with handpicking, destemming and gentle crushing in order to limit the harsher tannins. Fermentation on natural yeast proceeded at moderate temperatures in stainless steel, followed by 6 months’ aging in French oak (40% new).