Jolie-Laide - Syrah North Coast 2021 750ml (13% abv)

48% Sonoma County, 26% Yorkville Highlands, 26% Mendocino

A blend of our single vineyard Syrahs from Hawks Butte and Alder Springs with a few rocky hillside Sonoma County vineyards. A wine that sings with the harmonious union of rocky, rugged, elevated, and windswept landscapes we adore. To capture the vibrant acidity and cool climate nuances,

The result is a wine that harmonizes the distinct qualities of each terroir, creating a symphony of floral, herbal, and spicy elements. The 2021 North Coast Syrah is a wine that invites you to indulge in its elegance, revealing layer upon layer of captivating flavors. 13% ABV

The name Jolie-Laide translates loosely to Pretty-Ugly, a French term of endearment to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful. Based out of Sonoma County, California, Scott and Jenny Schultz work with a handful of growers to source fruit from spectacular vineyard sites, allowing them to keep a hands-off approach in the cellar. The winemaking method at Jolie-Laide is simple: grapes are left whole cluster, foot crushed, and aged in neutral oak. All ferments are done with native yeasts, and the only additions consist of a minimal dose of sulfur before bottling.

Scott began his transition into the winemaking world after a move from Chicago to run the beverage program at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Napa Valley. As he explains, “everyone I met was a winemaker, so on my days off I followed people around to see what they were doing." Before long, he had secured the cellar master job at Realm Winery, followed by a stint with Arnot-Roberts, and then joining Pax Mahle to work on the Pax and Wind Gap labels. Scott’s passion for winemaking inevitably led to his own project, Jolie-Laide, in 2010.

The North Coast Syrah is a blend of two Yorkville Highlands vineyards; Hawks Butte and Halcon. Both vineyards are rocky, high elevation sites (Halcon being the higher of the two at roughly 2500 ft) in Mendocino that benefit from a direct coastal influence, as well as ample sun exposure from their position above the fog line. 

"The 2021 Syrah (North Coast) is a delight. Readers will find a serious Syrah that packs quite the punch. A burst of dark plum fruit, cedar, licorice, incense, leather and tobacco hits the palate. There's plenty of structure to back up the wine's up-front intensity." - 90 Points, Vinous

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farming/cellar - we hand-picked the Syrah grapes early, preserving their essence. The whole grape clusters were foot-stomped and fermented with native yeasts. Each vineyard site was harvested at different times, fermented individually, and aged on their own in neutral barriques for 10 months. Once ready, we blended each site together prior to bottling. minimal so2.

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