Winemaker Notes
The 2017 is an opaque purple in color. The nose is comprised of blueberry, black cherry, boysenberry, cinnamon, vanilla, rose petal, black raspberry, toasty oak, and sage. Flavors of black cherry, red plum, blueberry, anise, baking chocolate, and vanilla burst throughout the palate. Pairing Revelation with grilled meats is a given but trying it with slow cooked roasts of pork or lamb would be delicious.
Blend: 57% Grenache, 43% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 57% Grenache and 43% Syrah, the 2017 Rodney's Vineyard Revelation is smoking good, with meaty, gamey, peppery notes as well as lots of dark fruits, medium body, light, silky tannins, and a terrific sense of elegance. The Syrah is front and center today, yet the Grenache keeps it supple and beautifully textured. It’s going to evolve for 7-8 years or more.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 51% Grenache and 49% Syrah is gamy and tarry on the nose, with smoked boysenberry-fruit aromas. More exotic purple-fruit touches show on the sip, where smoked meat and peppercorn flavors also arise. It needs a bit more time to fully blossom.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.