Winemaker Notes
Simultaneously bold and balancd, rich and smooth, fruit forward and earthy. It is impossibly dark and full-bodied, without ever going over the top. It is heavily inspired by Northern Rhone Syrah and Australian Shiraz. The aromas and flavors are dominated by black cherry, raspberry, white pepper, forest floor and toasty oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This bang-for-the-buck bottling out of the Central Coast kicks off with aromas of lavender, rosemary and purple fruits that lead into a hearty palate, where blue fruit, asphalt and cracked pepper flavors arise. Strong acidity and elegant tannins ensure cellar worthiness as well.
Editor's Choice
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another value release from this terrific producer, the 2018 Syrah Tous Les Jours is all Syrah, from a mix of vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley, that was mostly destemmed and brought up in neutral oak. It's deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a ripe, textured, yet still complex, cool-climate-like Syrah that has lots of peppery herbs, smoke game, and assorted darker berry fruit aromas and flavors. It's California's answer to a terrific Saint Joseph and will evolve nicely for 4-6 years or more.
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.”
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.