Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A step up over the smoking good 2012 version of this cuvee, the 2013 Syrah Purisima Mountain is a classic example from this estate that gives up tons of blackberries, cassis, licorice, roasted meats and a kiss of sweet oak. Full-bodied, beautifully pure, fresh and focused, it's an impeccably put together Syrah that will have a decade or more of longevity. The entry-level Purisima Mountain Syrah, it comes from the top of Ballard Canyon, was completely destemmed and spent 16 months in 40% new French oak.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich and layered on the nose, this wine shows peppercorn, bacon fat and blackberry jam aromas. It is full and soft on the palate, with deeply rich yet still a tad tart boysenberry and elderberry fruit as well as an asphalt-driven grip.
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.