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	BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 57% Syrah, 36% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet. Estate-grown fruit from Monterey County comprised 96% of the blend, with the balance from independent growers. Harvest Dates: Sep. 22 – Oct. 28, 2003 WINEMAKING DATA: Grapes were harvested at an average 25.1º Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for 19 months in a combination of new French oak barrels (40%) and two-year-old French oak (60%). The wine was blended and bottled in June, 2005. As Le Mistral becomes more Syrah based, flavors become more concentrated and intense. The 2003 bottling is saturated with aromas of blueberry, blackberry, roasted meat and black tea. The palate is balanced and full of ripe fruit flavors with hints of licorice and spice. Sweet, integrated tannins lead to a lingering, full-bodied finish. A cool, wet spring seemed to forecast a vintage that would have difficulty ripening, but July and August were unusually warm without the typical fog-shrouded mornings. Clear skies provided a complete daily dose of solar radiation to the vines and fruit, allowing for good photosynthesis and fruit development, and hot weather in mid-September also provided needed heat accumulation. After the heat spell broke, it was replaced by near-ideal weather conditions of overcast mornings, warm, sunny afternoons and temperatures in the low to mid eighties. Actual crop harvested was significantly lower than estimates with less than two tons per acre from many vineyards as a result of earlier crop removal to mitigate mildew. Small berry size created a favorable skin-to-juice ratio, resulting in compelling flavor and structure for this vintage.
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