2004 Syrah Napa Valley

This winery's venture in the cool Freestone area of western Sonoma County is finally bearing fruit, as the winery will offer its first pinot noir under the Freestone label with the 2005 vintage, as well as a very good chardonnay that they decided to declassify to their second label, Fog Dog. Meanwhile, on the other side of the North Coast, winemaker Craig Williams admitted that Phelps brought in literally twice as much fruit in 2005 as in 2004 (3.5 tons per acre, vs. 1.7) despite dropping a good deal of the crop. Of course, noted Williams, the 2004 production was cut significantly by ten days of shriveling in a heat wave beginning at the end of August. The Insignia blend continues to be one of California's most reliably superb red wines, but on this latest visit it was the 2004 Backus Vineyard bottling that snagged my attention.