2013 SMALL FRY Tasting NotesSmall Fry exhibits medium, rich red color; and possesses a vibrant nose of redcurrant and red cherry aromas with subtle dried herb notes

Lively on the palate, Small Fry exhibits crisp fresh fruit flavors with very round tannins that firm up the finish and give it good length.

Vintage

Napa Valley Vintners characterized the 2013 growing conditions in Napa Valley as “early, even and excellent”; that description certainly held true for the Atlas Peak region. Drought conditions continued to prevail, with moderate to light rains throughout the vineyards’ dormant period. Our spring was warm and dry, by comparative standards; and moderate temperatures were the rule during the majority of the growing season. We experienced one week of extended heat spike from late June to early July; a quick reversion to the moderate norm enabled extended maturation and ideal balance of sugars and acids.

Temperatures largely remained in the optimal zone through harvest. The one short rain event in September had no impact on fruit quality nor hang time.

Our Malbec was harvested on September 29, 2013. Our Syrah was harvested on October 8, 2013.

Winemaking

Consistent with our small lot production, our wines are carefully fermented in macro-bins, for 8-10 days, to optimize color extraction and preserve the unique characteristics of our Lagniappe Peak terroir. Malolactic conversion finished in the barrels. The wines are racked three times to separate them from the lees and provide aeration. Our wines are aged in French oak (Malbec neutral; Syrah 50% new); and bottled (July 22, 2015) following 19 months of barrel aging.

91% Malbec; 9% Syrah

13.3% Alcohol

Food Pairings

With the characteristics that we are seeing in the wine currently; we believe Small Fry will pair well initially with any grilled meat, burgers or Tex-Mex favorites, such as fajitas or burritos. As it develops over the next 6 years, we expect that it will complement a wide range of foods.

We especially enjoy country style pork ribs with any spicy barbeque sauce (bourbon-based sauce is perfect)! Malbec will not be overshadowed by either sweet tangy sauces nor by spice; we love pairing it with many Chinese dishes and with Indian food.

For informal occasions we think you will love sharing this wine with family and friends in the backyard; accompanied by any lean grilled meat, such as beef tenderloin or pork chops. If the weather is not cooperating, you will find it pairs well with pasta with pesto or any lighter tomato or cream-based sauce.

For holidays we think this will pair well with venison or any gamier fowl, such as duck. We also see this as a perfect accompaniment for our Super Bowl tradition of Red Barn chicken chili.