Winemaker Notes
100% Syrah from John Sebastiano Vineyard, which is located at the eastern edge of Sta. Rita Hills, in Santa Barbara County. The site was planted in 2007 to a density of 2,400 vines per acre. The vines are on their own rootstock and come from cuttings that were originally brought over from Côte Rôtie, hence the Franc de Pied naming.
The aromas are reminiscent of black olives, rosemary and smoke, giving way to flavors of dark raspberries and spice. The Franc de Pied is a fine example of cool climate Syrah.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Snappy blackberry, singed asphalt, blood sausage and iodine aromas make for a fascinatingly cool-climate nose on this bottling from own-rooted vines. It's tightly wound on the palate, where green peppercorn, green sage and wild thyme decorate the elderberry core. This wine will evolve in mysterious ways.
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 superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.