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Winemaker's Notes
For centuries, the Syrah grape has been revered for its ability to produce serious red wines capable of aging gracefully for decades. Starting with the ancient Persians, it gained a foothold in central Europe and has since become the source of some of the worlds most highly prized wines, namely Hermitage and Côte Rôtie from the Rhône region of France.

At Arrowood, we make three Syrahs every vintage and each one is distinct and stylistically different from the others. Le Beau Mélange is one of the newer gems in our portfolio; this is only the fourth bottling of this beguiling wine. Unlike our other two Syrahs, which are made from single vineyards, Le Beau Mélange is a blend of grapes from four different Sonoma Valley vineyards. By combining single-vineyard lots that express different site-specific characteristics, Richard Arrowood can create wines that reveal not just a diversity of textures and flavors, but also speaks of the distinctive Sonoma Valley soils and climates from which they come.

The 2002 Le Beau Mélange is, to put it as Richard describes it, a "kick-ass wine". Rich, concentrated and intense, it is loaded with upfront aromas, flavors, tannins, and textures from beginning to end. Right from the start, weighty aromas of smoked deli meats, bacon, coffee, licorice, anisette and camphor fill the glass. Dense plum and black cherry flavors are complemented by hints of leather and sweet vanilla from 16 months aging in French oak barrels. These flavors are carried through on the lengthy finish, which goes on and on...and on.

We're happy to say that wine critic, Robert Parker, loves our Syrahs. About the 2002 Le Beau Mélange he says, "chocolately, earthy effort revealing a hint of new saddle leather, full-bodied flavors, and an exuberant, typically California personality with its upfront fruit and precocious personality." We couldn't agree more.

Varietal: 100% Syrah
Appellation: Sonoma County
Viticultural Area/Vineyard: Sonoma Valley - Schaefer Sonoma Valley, Crane Vineyard, Salmina Vineyard, Arrowood Estate Vineyard
Harvest Date: September 17 through October 7, 2002
Average Sugar at Harvest: 24.5° Brix
Average pH (Harvest/Bottling): 3.6/4.0
Average Total Acid (Harvest/Bottling): .69gm/100ml/.58 gm/100ml
Fermentation/Aging: Steel tank fermentation with complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in French oak barrels for an average of over 16 months prior to bottling. There was no fining or filtering.
Alcohol by Volume: 15%
Release Date: May 2005
Total Production: 798 cases