Winemaker Notes
Dark purple color, reminiscent of violets with aromas of crushed black pepper.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
An extreme version of cool-climate Syrah, this bottling begins with peppercorn, bay leaf, asphalt, green olive and eucalyptus on the nose as well as a pleasant black-raspberry-fruit element. It's very lively on the palate, where the green-peppercorn and Kalamata olive flavors meet with gamy meats and tart black plum.
Editors' Choice</> -
Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2018 Syrah Presqui'le Vineyard comes from a site in the Santa Maria not far from the Solomon Hills Vineyard. Mostly destemmed (80%) and brought up in 10% new French oak, it offers a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, orange zest, ground pepper, and wildflowers. Polished, medium to full-bodied, and silky on the palate, it still has bright acidity, plenty of ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's another character-filled, singular wine in this great lineup.
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.