ROCK Hommage Allan Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Tor Kenward's deep admiration for the Northern Rhône Valley inspired the creation of 'The Rock' Hommage Allan Syrah. Sourced from the iconic Hudson Vineyard in the cool-climate Carneros region of Napa Valley, this wine is grown on a steep, incredibly rocky hillside block that forces the vines to struggle, resulting in tiny, intensely concentrated berries. The 'Hommage Allan' moniker is a heartfelt tribute to Allan Scherrer, a beloved friend and local wine industry figure who shared Tor's early passion for California Syrah. Winemaker Jeff Ames employs traditional, low-intervention techniques, including partial whole-cluster fermentation and aging in select French oak barrels, to craft a wine of immense power, complexity, and classic savory character. It beautifully balances dark bramble fruit with signature notes of cracked black pepper, smoked meats, and crushed stone minerality.
🍾 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