Canihan
2009 Exuberance Syrah
Syrah
California: Sonoma Valley
Mission Briefing
The Joyful Palate
This 2009 marks the fourth successive showing of Bill Canihan’s Exuberance Syrah. Bill’s 2006 vintage captivated us. His 2007 impressed. His 2008 amazed us… but today’s 2009 highlights that special thing that happens when the skill of a winemaker progresses alongside the development of a great vineyard; today’s wine is fantastic.
Today’s wine is rich, bright, flavorful and wonderfully balanced. Decant this vibrant wine for best results, or do as we do and spin and spin it in the glass. With layers of flavors and aromas the keep on coming this wine encourages you to swirl and sip, witnessing how the wine comes to life with each spin.
Pair this delicious with venison sausage, roast duck or wild game.
Enjoy now, but lay a few bottles down for the next several years.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Dark and foreboding with an opaque, dense and inky core. At the edges, a fine ring of magenta encircles the glass. On spinning the wine, it appears weighty and dense. When it settles, it leaves behind streaks of wine-stained tears. |
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| Smell: | Concentrated and full on the nose, led by stewed plum and dark blueberry preserve. As the wine opens, it brings forth dusky tree moss, wild mushroom, smoked bacon, forest floor and eucalyptus. |
| Taste: | Juicy and full on the palate, with black cherry, dark plum, and blackberry. Light peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus and woodsy dried leaves appear along with light tannin and a balanced acidity. |
| Finish: | Long and lingering, with a flinty minerality that drive the brighter fruits into the corners of the palate. |
| Pairing: |
What the Winery Says
Exuberance describes our emotions upon learning that our first vintage of Syrah was judged by 47 judges to be the best red wine from more than 4,300 wines in the 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition (www.sfwinecomp.com). We feel that great wines originate in the vineyard, and that the cool climate of our Sonoma Valley organic vineyard results in an exceptionally elegant Syrah. Back-to-back Gold & Double Gold medals have proven that our unique terroir, meticulous organic farming practices, and minimalist winemaking philosophy result in exceptional wines.
About the Winery
At Canihan Family Cellars phenomenal wines are hand-crafted from cool, dry-farmed and certified organic vineyards. Our three varietals, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, have achieved critical acclaim since our first vintage.
The Canihan vineyards are ideally located in Sonoma, on the border of the Sonoma Coast and Carneros Appellations. The vineyards receive the cool evening breezes and frequent fog from the San Francisco Bay that provide perfect grape growing conditions.
Winemaker Bill Canihan
Bill Canihan was no stranger to wine growing up, and often enjoyed a glass at the dinner table with family (half wine, half water until he was old enough). While attending college at University of the Pacific (UOP), he shared his hobby with friend and roommate Jack Galante, who was planning to enter the winery business after graduation. Galante’s family had land in Carmel Valley that would make a suitable vineyard, and it got Bill thinking too…what about his own family’s land in Sonoma?
It was a parcel of acreage on the cusp of Cameros that his father had bought from a Basque farmer in 1975 and left fallow to let the land rest and rejuvenate. The long-term plan was always to plant an organic vineyard, fulfilling the dream of Bill’s Swiss immigrant grandfather who arrived in Califomia with exquisitely bad timing, intending to produce wine… just as Prohibition began.
It was just the motivation Bill needed.
It was 1998 and the Canihans sought out noted viticulturist Phil Coturri to direct the planting of the vineyard and winemaker Alexandra Romanini to assist them in producing the first wines.
Canihan Family Vineyards are located in Sonoma Valley near the Los Carneros appellation where the grapes receive cool evening breezes and frequent fog from the San Francisco Bay – perfect grape growing conditions for cool climate varietals like Pinot Noir. Bill Canihan is committed to farming sustainably and biodynamically and his vineyard is certified organic by CCOF (California Certified Organic Farms)
Vineyard Notes
Canihan Wines features Biodynamic Organic Vineyards, ideally located in the Sonoma Valley, bordering on the Los Carneros Appellation. The vineyards receive the cool evening breezes and early morning fog from San Francisco Bay that provide for perfect grape growing conditions.
Our estate vineyards were first planted in 1998; however, we had nurtured the land for more than 30 years. William Canihan Sr. purchased the land from a Basque farmer in 1975. Because of our commitment to the land and organic practices, we let nature cleanse the soil for 23 years.
Organic vineyard management practices, dry-farming, and hand-harvesting only at complete ripeness, fermentation with naturally occurring native yeast, and no fining or filtering result in flavorful wines expressive of our “terroir”.
We use winemaking techniques that are influenced by classic European traditions. The wines are a pleasure to drink young, and will continue to improve in softness and subtlety as they age in the bottle.