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What We Say 2005 Alexander Valley Syrah
SPECIAL ALERT: Thumbprint Cellars and The Wine Spies are teaming up to fight breast cancer! For every bottle that you purchase today, Thumbprint will donate $1 and The Wine Spies will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Thank you Thumbprint and thank you, dear reader, for your support!
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Mission Codename: Que? Syrah!
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Get our hands on the last of Thumbprint Cellars’ STUNNING Syrah
Mission Status: Accomplished
Current Winery: Thumbprint Cellars
Wine Subject: 2005 Syrah, Alexander Valley, Ramazzotti Vineyard
Winemakers: Scott Lindstrom-Dake
Backgrounder:
This is one of the best Syrahs we have tried in recent months and it is clear to see why it has won so many awards!
We just barely managed to get our spy paws on some of the remaining stock of this wonderful wine. This will be your last chance to buy this great vintage, because once we sell out, its all gone.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dark black purple, good legs, viscosity and clarity
Smell – Blackberry, fruit forward with hints of walnut and honey
Feel – Mostly smooth, with the tiniest of bites, that mellows to a very smooth finish. Mediums tannins
Taste – Fruit forward, blackberries, black cherry, coffee, and a hint of tobacco, and a little spice
Finish – Beautiful fruit and spice flavors that tail off slowly to berry
Conclusion – A very nice wine, rich, complex, well rounded and a pleasure to drink
Mission Report
It was a beautiful day in downtown Healdsburg, California and I was looking forward to my mission Thumbprint Cellars. Agent Red had been there before, but Central Command sent me in to investigate the mystery of the image of the Thumb print that can be found on every bottle of Thumbprint Cellars wine.
On this mission I had to go undercover and pose as a wine consumer. This is one of my favorite covers as I love to have the same experience that folks outside of ‘the trade’ have.
I walked into the Thumbprint tasting room where I was struck by the casual and comfortable nature of the place. That’s not to say that the tasting room lacked style or polish. This place was all class. Art on the walls, great lighting, great music and an overall atmosphere that made it feel more like a classy lounge than a traditional stuffy winery tasting room.
Almost immediately I was greeted by a smiling young woman behind the counter. She handed me tasting sheet and invited me to try anything on the list that looked interesting to me. I flashed my best tourist grin and shyly said that I was new to wine and needed a good introduction. For the next thirty minutes, as other customers came in (mostly to buy wine which was a great sign!), she gave me an education about wine, about Thumbprint Cellars and about their style of winemaking.
I was impressed by her knowledge, but I as more impressed with their wines. Almost everything I tasted that day was spectacular and I am recommending to Central Command that we offer up several Thumbprint wines to our Operatives in the field.
Toward the end of the tasting, a very jovial looking guy walked in and went around the counter – to face me directly. For a moment I thought that my cover may have been blown but then the guy smiled, shook my hand and asked me how I liked his wines. At that moment, I made a connection in my brain! I told him that I loved his wines – and then I lied and told him that I was a palm reader. Instantly he turned his hand palm-side up under a pool of light from the overhead halogen light.
After a moment of pretending to look at his palm it was revealed to me! The secret of the Thump Print of each bottle of this fellows wine could be found, of all places, on the winemakers thumb! The prints matched perfectly.
“So,” he said. “What does my future hold?”
“That’s easy,” I replied, “*Many more great wines!*”
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Ramazatti Vineyards where Thumbprint sources its Syrah grapes for this tremendous wine can be seen in this satellite photo
Wine Spies Technical Analysis:
Alcohol: 16%
pH: 3.67
TA: 0.68 g/100ml.
Vegan
250 cases crafted
What the Winery Says
Thumbprint Cellars
Awards
GOLD MEDAL WINNER – 2007 Sonoma County Harvest Fair!
GOLD MEDAL WINNER – 2007 North of the Gate Wine Competition
About the Winery
Thumbprint cellars’ winemaker, Scott Lindstrom-Dake, has been making wine since 1995. “I developed a palate for fine wine, but as a college student I couldn’t afford to buy it. My mom and step-dad have been growing premium wine grapes for years and the light bulb just kind of went on- I can make my own wine.” So it began, a hobby in college to supplement the ‘cellar’ of he and his wife.
The first vintage was a great success. The wines were enjoyed by friends and family alike (all 4 cases of it), and demand began to grow. As requests for more wine grew, Scott decided to move away from ‘shiners’ (unlabeled bottles), and add a little flair to his wine packaging. Using a gold pen, he would write personal messages on each bottle he gave away or sold. During one such episode, Scott inadvertently grabbed the bottle where the gold ink was still wet – leaving a large gold thumbprint. He loved the look, and so thumbprint cellars was born.
About the Wine
Hickory smoke, black cherry and cinnamon aromas lead to dark fruit flavors. Ripe black cherry, blackberry, espresso, blueberry and bold oak flavors weave into a long rich mouthfeel. Bright acidity melds these complex flavors with audacious tannins through the full, rich finish. Pair with rich food or a warm ski cabin after a powder day. Unfiltered/unfined.
Winemaker Profile
Scott Lindstrom-Dake
Thumbprint cellars’ winemaker, Scott Lindstrom-Dake, had been making wine since 1995. “I developed a palate for fine wine, but as a college student I couldn’t afford to buy it. My mom and step-dad have been growing premium wine grapes for years and the light bulb just kind of went on- I can make my own wine.”
Scott’s first vintage was a great success and his wines enjoyed by his close friends and family (all 4 cases of it). As requests for more wine grew, Scott decided to move away from ‘shiners’ (unlabeled bottles), and add a little flair to his wine packaging. Using a gold pen, he wrote personal messages on each bottle he gave away or sold. After writing on one particular bottle, Scott inadvertently grabbed the bottle where the gold ink was still wet – leaving a large gold thumbprint. He loved the look, and so Thumbprint Cellars was born.
Technical Data
ALC.: 16%
pH: 3.67
TA: 0.68 g/100ml.
Vegan
250 cases crafted
