Joyce Vineyards, Syrah, Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California 2024

Aromas of brambleberry, applewood smoke, peppered salame, and dried forest. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, charred raspberry, and sweet tobacco. The fruit for this Syrah was harvested from several vineyards surrounding the Joyce winery in the Arroyo Seco AVA. This AVA is recognized as having the longest growing season in California. Strong daily winds that bring cool fog from the Monterey Bay allow the grapes to spend more time on the vine buxilding flavor, complexity and acidity. Extremely rocky well-drained alluvial soils are the base for creating wines processing freshness & minerality. The combination of sand, granite, and shale loam soils with the ever present marine influence provide the ideal conditions for growing cool climate Syrah. Joyce Vineyards has been a life long partnership between father and son Francis and Russell Joyce. It began when Francis followed his passion by pirating several European cuttings in the early 1980’s and planting on his small property in the sub-appellation of Carmel Valley in Monterey County wine country. What started as a hobby has grown into a small production winery under the direction of Russell.