Joseph Swan Trenton Estate Syrah 2013

In 1967, pilot Joe Swan swapped the cockpit for a pair of secateurs to fulfil his dream of running a one-man winery. One of California’s quiet pioneers, Joe would play a pivotal role in the establishment of the Russian River Valley as a leading AVA with his artisanal, site-specific wines.

He purchased a 5ha plot of old-vine Zinfandel near Forestville in Sonoma County, to which the “maestro of Californian wine” (as well as friend and mentor) André Tchelistcheff urged him to add Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Farming organically and vinifying wines site-by-site, the winery was considered “pretty crazy back then, even for a little producer," says Joe’s son-in-law and current winemaker Rod Berglund, who made the move from La Crema in 1989.

Swan's Syrah combines Rhone-like savouriness with a bright Californian fruit character. Deep, rich, and peppery, with sweet spice and liquorice nuances, and a finely structured frame. Drink over the next decade.