2009 Syrah The Fight Syrah Gray'S Town Vineyard Sonoma Coast

Owner and winemaker Carroll Kemp told me that 2010 was the coldest year on record in Sonoma County. "And with all the spring rain that we got, it was a like a slow nightmare waiting for the vines to do their thing," he said. There's a big emphasis here on harvesting for bright acidity, Kemp pointed out, "because pinot is built around its acidity and flavor, which need to comes from the vineyard. Things like tannins and texture are mostly about your cellar techniques." Kemp is a strong believer in heirloom California pinot selections like Calera and Swan, which he thinks make wines of greater complexity, even in cold spots, than the Dijon clones that were designed to thrive under cooler conditions, "but can overemphasize fruit."