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[Welcome to Accolades Week at The Wine Spies! All this week, we’ll be featuring wines that have won awards or high praise from judges and wine writers.]

: : Agent Red Reporting : :

Subject: Peter Figge, winemaker

Wine: 2005 Figge Cellars Syrah

Mission: Investigate Peter Figge to determine whether he is an industry spy or not

Mission Findings: Inconclusive, although he does make incredible wine. See following summary.

Background Summary: At first look at the life of Peter Figge, and it is easy to see why we assumed that he was a deep-cover, long-haul operative whose life was designed to infiltrate the wine industry. Peter’s interest in wine began with his exposure to his father’s (his handler?) 4000-bottle wine collection as a child. If this was a tactic designed to get young Peter interested in wine, it worked.

From that point onward, Peter seemed to be on a singular track, designed to usher him through every level of the industry. From his Biology degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, to his time spent working for Beringer and Grgich it was clear that his life-arc had a certain purpose. This was driven home when, in 1997, Peter earned his Master’s Degree in Viticulture.

For the next 6 years, Peter quietly perfected his trade craft while working as vineyard manager for respected wine powerhouse Estancia Estates Winery. Toward the end of his tenure with Estancia, it became apparent that Peter had aspirations of starting his own winery. It was at this point when a prominent business mogul contracted Figge to develop a state-of-the-art vineyard in the fabled Carmel Valley. Figge agreed, with the understanding that he would have all rights to the fruits tended there.

The pristine Pelio Vineyard is yielding incredible fruit and now serves as the flagship vineyard for Figge Cellars wines.

Peter Figge is now producing exceptional wines and while we have not been able to conclusively prove that he is an industry infiltrator, it is clear that he is on his way to International renown as a winemaker of exceptional talent.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep red hues

Smell – Cherry, blueberry, toasted oak

Feel – Initially wet, with a velvet after-feel.

Taste – Smooth in the mouth, this wine has a happy and inviting character, with fruity cherry, blackberry and casis.

Finish – This wine has a great long finish with juicy flavors and a feel that reminds you of the tannins you just enjoyed.

Conclusion – This 100% Syrah is deep and authentic Rhone-style wine with amazing structure that is fun to drink and discuss. I thoroughly this wine each time I tried it. And believe me, this agent TRIED this wine.

Wine Spies Vineyard Background Check:

Vineyard – Sycamore Flat Vineyard

Robbie Madsen and his family manage this famous vineyard that is planted with Syrah and Cabernet. Located far up the Arroyo Seco Canyon for which the Appellation is named, the vineyard sees a whole different microclimate than its immediate neighbors, especially in terms of temperature and wind.

Fog rolls up the canyon from the Salinas Valley, but burns off early in the morning. Since the vineyard is well up the canyon, the gale force winds that dominate the Salinas Valley vineyard scene don’t hit the site at all, allowing the temperatures to average nearly 10 degrees hotter throughout the growing season. These temperatures are more commonly found further south in Monterey County. This vineyard, in the northern part of the county, cools off in the evening due to its proximity to the ocean influences. The Vineyard is not open to the public, but can be seen in this satellite photo.

Wine Spies Technical Analysis:

Alcohol: 14.4

Composition: 100% Syrah

Appellation: Monterey County, AVA

Fermentation: 100% Barrel Fermented

Barrels: French Oak

Vineyard: Sycamore Flat Vineyard

Soil Type: calcareous composition deposit with rock and gravel