Syrah Reserve
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2031
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb chops, grilled ribeye steak, venison stew
✨ Technical Specifications
Scheid Vineyards' Reserve Syrah is a compelling expression of Monterey County's diverse terroir, specifically sourced from their estate vineyards in the warmer southern microclimates of the Salinas Valley, such as the Hames Valley and San Lucas AVAs. While northern Monterey is defined by chilly winds and fog, these southern reaches receive intense daytime heat, allowing late-ripening Rhône varieties like Syrah to develop deep concentration, rich dark fruit profiles, and characteristic cracked black pepper notes. The Scheid family utilizes sustainable farming practices and a state-of-the-art, 100% wind-powered winery to craft this reserve bottling. The wine is typically aged in a combination of French, American, and Hungarian oak barrels to integrate its robust tannins and add layers of sweet spice, vanilla, and toasted oak to the finished profile.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1972 by pioneer Al Scheid, Scheid Vineyards began as an ambitious viticultural venture in southern Monterey County, initially supplying fruit to major California wineries before evolving into a vertically integrated estate wine producer. Spanning more than 3,000 acres across a 70-mile expanse of the Salinas Valley—encompassing microclimates across the Monterey, Arroyo Seco, and Hames Valley AVAs—the estate leverages thermal diurnal shifts driven by maritime winds off Monterey Bay. Viticulture balances alluvial gravel, decomposed granite, and clay-loam soils across twelve distinct ranch sites, farmed under SIP Certified and Certified California Sustainable standards, with the winery fully powered by an onsite wind turbine. Winemaking prioritizes varietal clarity, tension, and texture across an eclectic portfolio, celebrated for vibrant Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, aromatic Viognier, racy Dry Riesling, and rare regional white bottlings such as Petit Manseng and Roussanne.
🍇 Grapes
Syrah