Fiery Nights

In 2015, Syrah was performing so exceptionally at the ONX Estate that it was becoming a shame to blend it away at times. So every year we do a small fermentation of Syrah, usually cofermented with Viognier, in a 3-ton concrete tank and subsequently choose the best two barrels of the lot to be held out of that year's blending and given a few more months of extended barrel aging. The 2017 edition of the Fiery Nights is from our darkest and inkiest block of Syrah (Clone 470), and benefited from over 20 months of barrel aging before bottling. In that time, alone and away from outside influences, the wine flourished in complexity, becoming a great expression of west-side Paso Robles Syrah. High tone fruit along with jazzy savory notes express themselves in a bouquet of lychee, blueberries, and prosciutto. In the background, fresh ginger and white pepper offer a refreshing overlay to notes of smoked pork loin, dark coffee, and salted chocolate. A sweet entry of raspberry jam and vanilla bean yield to chanterelle mushrooms and a limestone minerality. Billowing and velvety tannins dominate a mid palate of cloves, tobacco, and earth. The wine finishes with dark chocolate and boysenberry with long lasting, plush tannins. Sure to please for years to come.