2018 Boheme "Occidental Hills" Syrah, Sonoma Coast, California, USA

2018 Boheme "Occidental Hills" Syrah, Sonoma Coast, California, USA

This wine is made from two sites, English Hill and Que Syrah, both estate and within 10 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Made in a low-heat style, it retains plenty of complex notions of meat, blood, white pepper and citrus, with a subtle bit of dark plum. Concentrated in richness, it maintains a persistence of bright acidity on the palate that keeps it fresh and rewarding in the glass.

$59.99
$59.99

There are 3 units left in stock.

ABOUT THIS WINE

2018 Occidental Hills Syrah is a single-vineyard bottling from our 0.21 acre Syrah planting at English Hill Vineyard. Originating from Occitanie, France, the vines are planted to Steinbeck sand-stone loam on a high-density spacing of 6 feet between rows and 3 feet between vines. Hand-harvesting and Double Guyot pruning have been employed since the first vintage.

Our 2018 crop was harvested October 19th and produced just 3 barrels. 50% of the grapes were retained as whole clusters, receiving hand punch-downs and periodic foot-treading during fermentation. Prior to bottling the wine aged 22 months in French Oak barrels.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Driving the backroads of the southern Sonoma Coast, Beitler has his trio of leased vineyards, all windy and poor-soiled (both qualities excellent for making lower-alcohol, balanced Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays). 

Bohème produces only about 1,500 cases per vintage, and that’s in a good year on the perpetually rugged coast. His troika of vineyards (soon to be four)—English Hill, Taylor Ridge and Stuller— produce grapes with somewhat disparate attributes derived from their particular terroir. For instance, while grapes from one might contribute salty, licorice flavors, others may be more floral and grapes grown on the third might display more fruit or less acidity.

Beitler maintains a style that keeps the wines in check—no trifle, given the often-harsh conditions the coastal terrain bestows, which at once can be damning and a blessing. That is, they are exquisitely flowery, delicate on the palate and always have spritely acids that are as brisk as they are cleansing. Bohème Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are in the 13.5 to 14.3% alcohol range—low by California standards. When conditions bring lots of rain, cold and searing winds, the fruit can hold back its sweet delights, thereby elevating the acid levels to puckery-ness. But in the hands of a sensitive soul such as Beitler, the results can be gorgeous.

Part of the beauty of growing grapes close to the ocean, he explains, is that there’s a long growing season without accumulating sugars fast, and the wines are able to maintain complexity. “There’s a lot of pressure on New World producers for explosiveness, and Pinot Noir is no exception. Many take great pains to darken the wines, concentrate the flavors, soften the acidity.”