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2001 Petite Rousse Paso Robles Syrah Clos Mimi is proud to announce the release of a new syrah affectionately called "petite rousse." Dedicated to a little red-headed girl from Montmartre who enchanted Renoir in the mid-1870s*, this two thousand one vintage syrah originates from a vertically-trellised vineyard planted to the Estrella clone on the limestone highlands of Paso Robles. Moreover, 1.22 tons per acre were hand-harvested 10 september at a markedly shriveled 25.5 degrees brix, 3.72 pH and 5.0 grams per liter tartaric acid. With a little inspiration from pre-phylloxera France, this natural wine was crafted with 100% indigenous yeasts, daily "remontages avec aeration" via a Manzini SM180, a non-refrigerated thirteen-day maceration with fermentation temperatures peaking at 97°F (36°C), 100% indigenous malolactic fermentation in barrel, monthly topping via gravity and ten months aging in neutral Seguin Moreau 225-liter "château" barrels with practically no "soutirage" (eg. the barrels were 100% gravity racked off their "gross lies" into the bottling tank 31 july). In an effort to efface the rustic tannins often perceived in Paso Robles fruit, 100% of the "vin de presse" was separated at the press and sold to our home winemaker friends, thus reducing yields a further 30 gallons per ton. In traditional fashion (eg. without acidulation, chaptalization, fining nor filtration) this wine was bottled 8 august (new moon at 14h15) at 3.85 pH, 5.9 grams per liter tartaric acid (3.9 grams per liter sulfuric acid), 21 ppm free sulphur dioxide, 64 ppm total sulphur dioxide and 14.5% alcohol. Nevertheless, this "monocépage" syrah exhibits classic aromas of crushed peppercorns, grilled beefsteak and jammy black fruits.
* Margot Legrand (? - 1879) for whom our daughter is named
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