Josh Raynolds (Vinous) aptly said of the Ledge wines "the Saxum influence burns strong here but over the years I’ve started to detect a somewhat lighter touch to Adams’ wines than those of his mentor."
This is absolutely spot-on, and is as much a reflection of our Estate terroir as anything else. The Adams Ranch has sand, clay, sandstone, terra rossa and gravel based soils in the heart of the Willow Creek District and is surrounded by limestone-heavy sites. We are able to draw a stark distinction in style not necessarily through winemaking techniques, but through terroir. This is certainly true with the Adams Ranch Syrah. This was a happy accident. We chose neutral oak and whole cluster ferments over new oak and careful destemming not because we were trying to be renegades, but because we couldn't afford new barrels, and we didn't have enough fruit to nit-pick on the sorting table. We were so pleased with our delicate, old-world Syrah that as we continue to expand and incorporate new oak and world-class vineyard sources, we maintain our foundational minimalism which distinguishes our wines from our neighbors. Thank you very much for your interest in these wines, and we hope to pull a cork with you all sooner than later.
