Durell Vineyard Clone No.1 Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2034
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb, grilled ribeye steak, wild game
✨ Technical Specifications
The Durell Vineyard, sprawling across the intersection of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Sonoma Coast appellations, is legendary for its complex terroir. While famous for Chardonnay, its rocky, wind-swept hillsides also yield exceptional cool-climate Syrah. TOR Kenward's Clone No. 1 Syrah is sourced from a specific block planted with the coveted 'Hermitage' clone, which thrives in the vineyard's volcanic soils and cool breezes from the Petaluma Gap. Winemaker Jeff Ames employs minimal intervention, utilizing native yeast fermentation and bottling without fining or filtration to preserve the intense, savory character of the fruit. The resulting wine is renowned for its classic Northern Rhône-like profile, balancing dark fruit with signature notes of white pepper, smoked meats, 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