2018 Qupe Syrah Central Coast

About 2018 Qupe Syrah Central Coast:

Balanced alcohol gives the wine a suppleness that makes it an easy drinker.

Tasting Notes:

Deep purple color with aromas of blackberry, black raspberries, and hints of cola and leather. Flavors are savory with a spicy smoky character, refreshing juicy acidity and a touch of French oak.

Barrel Selection:

The wine was aged for 16 months in François Frères Burgundy barrels, 15% new.

Growing Notes:

Qupé Syrah is sourced from various vineyards on the Central Coast starting as far south as the Santa Ynez Valley up to the Adelaida District in northern Paso Robles. The vineyards experienced above-average rainfall at the onset of 2018 on the Central Coast. As the growing season progressed, rainfall tapered off and dry conditions returned. Daytime temperatures throughout Summer and early Fall leading up to harvest were mild — promoting the slow, even ripening of deeply concentrated fruit. 

Qupé focuses on cool climate expressions of Rhône varietals due to a distinctive geographical feature that sets them apart from most other regions of California, as all vineyards are all located in East-West valleys (vs North-South) which function as open windows to the cool Pacific Ocean. The benefit to the vineyards of being along the coast and running East-West is that the cold, moist air gets pulled in and creates a layer of morning cloud cover over the vines which reduces temperatures and sun exposure on the grapes. This is why cool climate varieties excel in the coastal regions of the Central Coast and allows Qupé to focus on cool climate expressions of Rhone varietals. East-West valleys on the Central Coast that Qupé sources from include Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Valley and Santa Rita Hills/Santa Ynez Valley.

Winemaking Notes:

Yields were average in 2018, producing a well-rounded vintage characterized by deep color, balance and expressive fruit flavors. The winemaker used 10% whole clusters in open-top fermenters before destemming the rest. Fermentation was in a combination of small open-top fermenters using manual punch down, and larger closed-top tanks using pump-overs. The wine was aged for 16 months in François Frères Burgundy barrels, 15% new.

About The Winery:

Qupé is honored to be a member of the Rhone Rangers, America’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines. American Rhone-style wines are made from the same grapes that have flourished for centuries in France’s Rhone River Valley, and their growing popularity in the United States speaks to their versatility with food, wide range of rich flavors, and to the skills of American winemakers. The Rhone Ranger’s mission is to educate the public on Rhone varietal wine grapes grown in America and to promote the production and enjoyment of these wines, with emphasis on integration into our daily lives. For a wine to qualify as a “Rhone Rangers” wine, the winery must be a member of the organization and 75% of the wine’s content must include one or more of the twenty-two traditional Rhone grape varieties as approved by the French government for the wines of the Cotes du Rhone (including Petite Sirah/Durif).

The name “qupé” was chosen to honor the Chumash, the indigenous people of the Golden State’s Central Coast and Channel Islands.

In Chumash, “qupé” refers to the poppy, a flowering plant traditionally used for food and medicine. In 1903 the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) was officially designated the state flower, and every spring masses of the bright orange blossoms still blanket local hills and back country.