Wines of the 2001 vintage
In 2001, I was working part-time for Luna Vineyards, helping them to supervise all of the acres they had under contract. Winemaker Kelly Wheat took me out to Suisun Valley for the first time in my life to look at a Syrah vineyard that was on offer. He declined to take the fruit for Luna; the vineyard seemed problematic in many ways. The affable owner, Harry MIsthos, said, “that’s okay. I did not want to sell the grapes anyway. I wanted someone to make the wine for me.”
That is the origin of the one wine I made in 2001.
Well, not really the only wine that I made. I also made syrah from Lee Hudson too. And it was very good. But because of my inattention, inexperience, and bad judgment, I allowed the wine to spoil and ended up destroying it (with dozens of other barrels) in 2005.