----------Wine Spectator - 92 Points!---------- “Mixes ripe, rich wild berry and blackberry fruit with savory herb, spice, pepper and cedar notes. Complex, balanced, focused and harmonious, this is pleasing to drink.” ---------The beginning of the 2006 growing season was somewhat cool and wet prompting a decision to heavily thin most of our Syrah fruit to 1 cluster per shoot. Besides a heat-spiked June, the balance of the summer and fall delivered mild and mellow warm weather, allowing for even steady ripening of the small crop. This resulted in excellent concentration of dark berry flavors, ripe fleshy tannin, and deep dark pigment. 17 Months aging in 40% new French oak barrels rounded out the palate even further, while adding more texture, aroma, and flavor components. Expect to find wild blackberry, violets, blueberry, cocoa powder, anise, white pepper, exotic spice, chocolate fudge, and the Buoncristiani signatures of balance, depth on the mid palate, and a lengthy persistent finish. To ensure our highest standard of quality, we source this Syrah from vineyards managed with our same strict viticultural philosophy. The ‘06 blend was handcrafted from small lots harvested exclusively from our block 1800 ft above sea level at Stagecoach Vineyards in the Vaca mountains above Oakville, and Larry Hyde’s vineyard in Oak Knoll.----------308 cases produced.