Domaine de la Terre Rouge Syrah 'Les Côtes de L'Ouest' California 2016

Terre Rouge is located on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada in Amador County, California. Established in 1986 by Bill Easton and Jane O'Riordan, it's also the home of Easton Wines, with about 30 different wines produced in small lots of 100-400 cases between the two labels. Bill is one of the pioneers of Amador’s modern winemaking era, and his wines still lead the pack in terms of quality. The Terre Rouge Wines are made with classic Rhône varietals, and this, the 18th vintage of ‘Les Côtes de l’Ouest’ is a blend of 96% syrah from Clements Hills (a new Lodi sub-appellation just west of the Amador County line) and other select mountain sites. The syrah is co-fermented with 4% viognier, a method often used in the Rhône to impart aromatic lift and brightness, and aged 17 months in 20% new and 80% used French oak. The result is a silky, full-bodied expression with a core of sumptuous red fruit, accented by layers of smoke, cured meat, pepper, allspice, black olive, and crushed herbs. Clean and balanced, it evokes the Northern Rhône with a touch of California warmth.