Klinker Brick Syrah Farrah

Klinker Brick "Farrah" Syrah

Klinker Brick "Farrah" Syrah is an opulently structured, full-bodied red wine bottled at a bold 15.2% ABV. Handcrafted by the multi-generational Felten family in Lodi, California, this single-vineyard bottling is named in honor of their daughter, Farrah Felton-Jolley. It consistently commands elite critical validation, regularly securing 91-point ratings from panels like Wine.com and Wilfred Wong, a strong Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and a spectacular review from James Suckling, who praised it as a powerful, sleek, and beautifully spiced wine. Explicitly engineered with fully mature estate grapes grown in sandy loam river soils, it delivers a deeply decadent, rich profile that highlights luscious dark fruits, cocoa, and a distinctive crack of white pepper.

• Quick Facts: ABV: 15.2% | Origin: Lodi AVA (Mokelumne River Sub-Appellation), California, USA | Style: Rich, Intense, and Voluptuous New World Syrah | Composition: 100% Single-Vineyard Syrah

The Mokelumne Terroir & Daughter's Heritage Cask

• The 10-Acre Granitic Sandy Loam Matrix: The agricultural heartbeat of this release is a tight, estate-owned 10-acre single vineyard block nestled within the prestigious Mokelumne River sub-appellation. The vines are deeply rooted in fine, granite-swept sandy loam. This unique soil profile provides excellent drainage, forcing the vines to struggle and yield remarkably small berries with concentrated skin-to-juice ratios, imbuing the final wine with a distinctive, terroir-driven mineral baseline.

• The Delta Wind Temperature Shield: While Lodi's intense daytime sun effortlessly ripens the Syrah clusters to develop rich, dark berry sugars and eliminate green herbal characteristics, the vineyard is saved from over-extraction by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Cool maritime breezes sweep across the vines every night, dropping temperatures sharply. This diurnal shift allows the grapes to preserve their natural, juicy tartaric acidity, keeping the massive 15.2% ABV frame beautifully balanced.

• The Spiced Oak Cellar Slumber: True to the Klinker Brick signature style, the hand-harvested fruit undergoes slow maceration and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for maximum color extraction. The young wine is then moved into premium oak barrels (featuring a calculated percentage of new French oak) where it slumbers to naturally coax out rich baking spices, vanilla, and chocolate textures while rounding out the grape's bold tannin matrix.

Tasting Notes

• Aroma: Pungent, dark, and highly expressive. The nose opens with an upfront wave of black raspberries, ripe dark cherries, and plum liqueur, beautifully supported by secondary top notes of premium milk chocolate, pipe tobacco leaf, sweet baking vanillins, and a delicate dust of Herbes de Provence.

• Taste: Full-bodied, unctuous, and incredibly velvety on the entry. The palate is treated to an immediate, mouth-coating layer of sweet stewed plums, blackberry coulis, and black currants. Across the mid-palate, the liquid expands with excellent viscosity, revealing sophisticated undertones of rich cocoa, cola nut, and a distinct, fiery hit of white pepper.

• Finish: Long, warming, and structural. The dense, dark-fruit sugars roll back smoothly from the throat, anchored by a fine, integrated tannin web and a juicy acidity that keeps the mouthfeel fresh, concluding with a lingering exhale of toasted oak wood, cinnamon, and savory spice.

How to Appreciate This Voluptuous Red

• The Decanter Relaxation Ritual: Because the Farrah Syrah boasts a dense fruit concentration and a high-octane alcohol spine, it benefits greatly from oxygen exposure. Pour the bottle into a wide-bottomed crystal decanter for 30 to 45 minutes before serving. Air contact allows the tight oak-spice aromatics to unfold while integrating the high alcohol seamlessly into the plum and cocoa matrix.

• The Cellar Temp Balance: To keep the high alcohol index perfectly tucked in, serve this wine at a classic cellar temperature of 60°F to 65°F (15°C to 18°C). Giving the bottle a quick 15-minute rest in the refrigerator before pulling the cork ensures the velvety texture and bright cherry acids stay at the forefront of the tasting experience.

Best For

• Stocking a serious home cellar with a highly decorated single-vineyard California Syrah that represents an exceptional benchmark for rich New World styling.

• Gifting dedicated Rhône-varietal lovers, steakhouse enthusiasts, and collectors who prize family-owned estate production and bold, fruit-driven density.

• Serving as the ultimate red-wine showpiece for heavy winter dinner parties, slow-cooked holiday roasts, and premium backyard barbecues.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does Klinker Brick Farrah Syrah taste like? It features a rich, intense profile that leads with bold aromas of cherry, tobacco, and dark chocolate, develops a thick, velvety middle marked by ripe plum, baking spices, and white pepper, and finishes with a long, structural wave of fine tannins and juicy acidity.

• How does this compare to a French Northern Rhône Syrah (like Hermitage)? Northern Rhône Syrahs from France are grown in cold, steep granite terraces, yielding a highly restrained, lean, and savory wine dominated by heavy cracked black pepper, smoked meats, leather, and black olive tapenade. Klinker Brick Farrah harnesses Lodi’s warm sunshine to offer a completely opposite, New World aesthetic—prioritizing a vastly sweeter, softer, and more voluptuous texture bursting with blackberry liqueur, milk chocolate, and white pepper.

• Is this wine sweet or dry? It is a completely dry red wine. While its massive fruit ripeness, high viscosity, and sweet oak notes of cinnamon and vanilla can trick the mind into expecting a hint of sweetness, the winemaking team ferments out all residual sugars. It behaves with a thoroughly dry, food-friendly finish driven by grape tannins and balanced acidity.

• What is the significance of the "Farrah" name? The wine is a sentimental family homage, named directly after Farrah Felton-Jolley. She represents the fifth generation of the Felten family, whose ancestors have continuously farmed estate vineyards in the Lodi region for over a century, bringing a deep multi-generational lineage to every bottle.

• What foods pair well with this expression? The wine’s rich body, bold spice matrix, and fine tannins demand heavy proteins and earthy fats. It pairs phenomenally next to garlic-accented braised lamb shanks, grilled ribeye steaks, slow-roasted osso buco, or venison chops. On a vegetarian menu, its savory undertones make it a magnificent companion to a rich wild mushroom risotto.

Technical Summary & Presentation Geometry

The primary technical advantage of Klinker Brick "Farrah" Syrah lies in its pairing of an estate-grown, single-vineyard Lodi block with a disciplined oak barrel aging program that preserves 100% varietal purity. Packaged in a traditional, heavy-set 750ML multi-use glass bottle with a classic label detailing the family's historic logo, this format ensures excellent preservation conditions under its premium natural wood cork. This uncompromising production methodology guarantees an unctuous fluid density, a velvet-like mouthfeel, and a clean fruit-to-pepper tracking that industrially modified bulk commercial reds cannot duplicate. It stands securely as a gold-medal-winning giant for California Syrah, universally trusted by sommeliers for bringing unparalleled small-batch depth straight to contemporary tables.

Specifications

• Type/Classification: Rich & Intense New World Red Wine (100% Single-Vineyard Syrah)

• Product of: Lodi AVA (Mokelumne River Sub-Appellation), California, USA

• Volume Options: Packaged standardly in the elegant 750ML retail format

• ABV: 15.2%

• Vineyard Sourcing: 100% Family-Owned 10-Acre Estate "Farrah" Block

• Maturation Protocol: Aged in Premium Oak Barrels (featuring New French Oak fractions)

• Notable Accolades: Gold Medal (San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition), 91 Points (Wilfred Wong / Wine.com), Highly Rated by James Suckling

• Brand/Winery: Klinker Brick Winery