Appellations Old Clones Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
TOR's Appellations Old Clones Syrah is a tribute to the legendary, savory wines of the Northern Rhône, filtered through the lens of Napa Valley's premier cool-climate terroirs. Sourced primarily from celebrated vineyards like the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros, this cuvée utilizes heritage Syrah clones—often traced back to old selections from Hermitage—which produce tiny, intensely concentrated berries. Winemaker Jeff Ames employs traditional, low-intervention techniques, including native yeast fermentations, partial whole-cluster pressing to introduce structural grip and herbal complexity, and aging in select French oak barrels. The resulting wine is highly expressive, balancing rich dark fruit with classic Syrah signatures of cracked black pepper, smoked game, and black olive.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2001 by Napa Valley veteran Tor Kenward and his wife Susan, TOR Kenward Family Wines represents the culmination of nearly five decades of immersion in California viticulture. Following a 27-year tenure shaping Beringer's private reserve programs, Kenward partnered with talented winemaker Jeff Ames to craft site-driven, artisanal single-vineyard expressions. The estate sources fruit exclusively from premier, sustainably farmed crus across Napa Valley and Carneros, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, Dr. Crane, Hyde Vineyard, and Durell Vineyard. Winemaking is dictated by minimal intervention, featuring native-yeast primary and malolactic fermentations, parcel-specific French oak maturation, and bottling without fining or filtration. TOR's benchmark portfolio is anchored by cult Cabernet Sauvignons alongside sculpted, mineral-laced Chardonnays—notably the Durell Vineyard Cuvée Mimi, Torchiana Beresini Vineyard, and Hyde Vineyard bottlings—as well as the ultra-limited Bordeaux-blend cuvées Black Magic and Pure Magic.
🍇 Grapes
Syrah