Dirty and Rowdy, Syrah Brousseau Vineyard, 2019

A change of pace from the Mourvedres: this is single-vineyard Syrah from Brousseau Vineyard, perched at 1,700 feet in the high-elevation Chalone AVA of Monterey County, where limestone, granite and volcanic soils and big diurnal swings keep things cool and savory. Hardy Wallace handles it like all his reds, leaning on whole-cluster fermentation, native yeast, gentle handling and neutral vessels to favor perfume over power, then bottles it unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. This is northern-Rhone-style Syrah by way of California: peppery, floral and stony rather than dark and dense. Serve with a slight chill.