2003 St. Clement Progeny Vineyard Syrah

St. Clement Vineyards traces its history to 1878 when an affluent manufacturer built an estate on the property and made Riesling and Zinfandel in the cellar. In 1975 an eye surgeon named William Casey started a small commercial winery on the estate and produced Cabernet, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Since 1987 the estate has been owned by the Japanese brewer Sapporo. The estate’s 22 acres are mostly in Carneros. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Mount Veeder AVA was established in 1993, though its origins as a wine producing district date to the 19th century. A German Presbyterian pastor named Peter Veeder was one of the first landowners in the area, and by 1864 one of his neighbors, a German sea captain named Stelham Wing, was producing wine commercially. The area continued to attract German agricultural entrepreneurs, some of whom established the estate that would later become the Christian Brothers Mont La Salle winery. Today the AVA includes about 1,000 acres of vineyards, most of them at relatively high altitudes. The Mayacamas vineyard, for instance, is at 2,400 feet. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.