Winemaker Notes
Intense aromas of blackberries, plum, and baked rhubarb pie with warming notes of star anise, black pepper, and savory bacon fat. The palate explodes with lush black fruit, with notes of clove and other exotic spice. The balanced acidity and firm tannins melt together and promise an age-worthy wine that will continue to develop well and change with time.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Amor Fati Murmur Vineyard Syrah neatly packs ripe fruit in a firm and well-balanced package. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with aromas and flavors of black fruit, anise, and tar. Pair it with grilled, well-seasoned, short ribs. (Tasted: March 23, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.