Big Dog Winery and Tasting Room opened in 2009, right beside the estate vineyard, which was planted in 1997. For over 20 years, they have strived to achieve the highest quality wines possible in every step; from grapes to glass, we maintain an emphasis on traditional techniques and small production.

They have only sporadically produced Syrah in certain years when they have been able to get grapes from their very favorite vineyards.

The 1st release was in the premier year, 2005, & our 2nd was in 2010 which won a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle competition. After the 3rd release in 2015, they decided maybe we shouldn’t wait five years between each vintage & made this 2016; hopefully, we will be making them more frequently going forward.

This wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak, a total of just six barrels, so 150 cases. It spent about two and a half years in barrels, and then a year in the bottle before we decided it was just right. This is our first Syrah from a cool climate region, the Russian River Valley, and we think this gives in a different character than our previous vintages.