2009 Syrah Griffin's Lair Vineyard

Duncan Meyers and Nathan Roberts took full advantage of the moderate 2009 growing season, which allowed the grapes from the cool to cold sites they favor "to get ripe while retaining acidity," which is the key to their house style. "We like wines that are expressive without losing freshness and focus, which can happen pretty easily even when you're working in a relatively cool region." I asked them what sort of progress they felt they'd made in recent years and both quickly said "vineyard work." According to Duncan, "our winemaking is pretty well dialed in by now, which doesn't mean that it's perfect or can't be fine-tuned, but the biggest leap has been with figuring out how to tweak the vines in each site." Added Nathan, "working with canopies and, especially, choosing the right time to pick--so really being on top of the vines and being in them all the time, that's where our focus is now." Except for the cabernets, which Roberts says "can handle and even crave some or a lot of new oak," almost every wine here is made in neutral or near-neutral casks and stainless steel.