UNTI 2022 Syrah Dry Creek Valley

750ml bottle
14.8% abv

Garnet in the glass. Deep, complex nose of blueberry, blackberry, and violets. Lithe on the palate with medium-plus acidity, mushroomy umami, and spice on the finish with integrated tannins.

100% Syrah. Clone sourced from the original Benchland vineyard. Biodynamic farming since 2004, organic farming since 2003.

Creekside block planted in 1998, Unti estate, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Gravelly, sandy loam soils. The coolest microclimate within the 60-acre estate, adding brightness to the dark, savory Syrah profile. 

Long pre-fermentation maceration. Basket press. Open-top tanks. Aged in French oak barrels and foudre. Bottled unfiltered.

The 2022 vintage presented minor challenges in September, a heat wave followed by light rain, which the Mick Unti says is not detectable in the finished wine.

Unti Vineyards was established by George Unti in 1997 in Dry Creek Valley, Healdsburg, focusing exclusively on estate-grown Mediterranean varieties including Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel, Barbera, Sangiovese, Vermentino, and Fiano. George's son Mick now runs the estate. French-born winemaker Sébastien Pochan has led the cellar since 2001. Biodynamic practices were introduced in 2004. The Syrah comes from two estate blocks, the Benchland and the Creekside; the 2022 is sourced entirely from the Creekside block, the cooler and more aromatic of the two, at the lower elevation adjacent to Dry Creek itself.