2009 Revelation
In Stock
Wine Specs
Vintage
2009
Varietal
51% Grenache Noir, 49% Syrah
Appellation
Santa Barbara County
Vineyard Designation
80% Camp4 Vineyard, 10% Rodney's Vineyard and 10% Stagecoach Vineyard
Harvest Date
11/5/2009
Acid
0.641g/100ml
PH
3.62
Aging
22 months in 53% new French Oak, 20% in 1 year old barrels, in a combination of small barrique and large, 500L puncheons.
Bottling Date
7/21/11
Wine Spectator
90
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Opaque in Color. After the frosts from 2008 which particularly affected Grenache, we were so excited to see plump, flavorful grapes that were the result of the 2009 harvest. These are some of the best Grenache grapes that we have been able to work with in quite some time! With firm tannins and a big mouthfeel, we combined the Grenache with the depth and richness of the Syrah and found that the two grapes married beautifully to make a wine with wonderful structure and a long, fresh finish. On the nose, you will find captivating aromas of blackberry, tar, coffee liquor, cigar box black cherry, vanilla and plum which are nicely rounded by the palate flavors of blackberry compote, chocolate, tar, blueberry, vanilla and all spice. A big and rich wine without being overbearing, and definitely not sweet, the 2009 Revelation has a special character that is sure to follow suit to its predecessors as another tasting room favorite.
Production Notes
After hand harvesting and hand sorting the grapes, we then cherry picked the best Grenache and Syrah grapes for this vintage. The wines were aged for 22 months before blending and bottling in July. Our 2009 Revelation is ready to drink upon release and can be enjoyed through 2022.
Winemaker Notes
Depth, longevity, richness and full bodied. These are some of the main qualities that we pride ourselves in achieving for each vintage of Revelation. To attain these desired qualities, we only use the very best grapes for this blend. For 2009, we were excited to find that Grenache was the grape of the year! In fact, it had so much intensity, depth and tannin that it became the predominant grape in our 2009 Revelation! Syrah was the other grape that had an amazing year providing lush fruit with vibrancy and strength. Therefore, with the natural harmony and substantial tannin, power and weight provided by both the Grenache and Syrah, it was clear that our new Revelation blend would be comprised solely of these two grapes.
Production
511 cases made
Tom Orem
(Jun 2, 2012 at 9:24 PM)
We had this wine of course for the first time at the release party I think end of March, 2012. I can't recall exactly but a major component is Syrah. My own opinion of Syrah is that is can be wonderful to drink (Epiphany 2005 Paradise Road Syrah, Fess Parker's Mackie's Blend 2007 Syrah, Blackjack Ranch 2006 Double Down Syrah, but that it can be very finicky. My experiences with younger Syrahs (less than four years from harvest, even five years) is that they can be very sharp, or even "harsh" if we can use that word.The Revelations 2009 was neither sharp nor harsh but it was closed, I felt. I spoke with MrParker at the release party and he advised to wait ten years for optimum taste. In the meantime, we have the 2008 Revelations which I actually thought was ready to go. So now I must keep driving two hours one-way to the tasting room to sample both of these Revelations to see how they progress. One of the great conundrums with superb wines is do I drink it now, or do I wait. I have a 2007 Stag's Leap Artemis Cab and I have to ask, "Do I drink it now, or do I wait?"
For the beer drinker or one who prefers spirits, one needn't ever concern oneself with this issue. But for the oenophile, it keeps us up at night except that the wine put us to sleep.
Only 511 cases? To think, I have had/own 1 of 511. That makes me feel, well, kinda special.
You know, my parents always told me I was special.