2014 Buty Winery Rediviva of the Stones

Bright red-ruby. Aromas of raspberry, olive, black pepper and game. Not at all a fleshy, wild, high-pH style of Rocks Syrah but still with a savory complexity to its red berry flavors, with the Cabernet Sauvignon component bringing hints of cherry and rose petal. Nicely energetic wine, finishing with firm but pliant tannins and a hint of grapefruit that may come from the Davis 174 clone of Syrah (the wine also includes Phelps and Tablas Creek Syrah clones). Buty purchased this land in 2006 and planted it in 2008 and 2009, farming it organically. The firm tannins are more pliant than those of the other current releases from Buty. Only 10% of the Syrah was vinified with whole clusters in 2014 due to the hot year; in longer, more moderate growing seasons the percentage can range as high as 60% or 70%. Rather than being a typically big, silky Rocks wine, this is a midweight that may yet expand and show more sweetness with bottle aging. (Incidentally, Buty did not make a Rockgarden Estate Red in vintage 2015 due to frost.)