Winemaker Notes
Drink with grilled lamb burgers or farro salad with feta and roast veggies.
Blend: 96% Syrah, 4% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Syrah is a bold, luscious wine. Black cherry, dark plum, gravel, spice leather and licorice infuse the Syrah with striking layers of nuance. The more potent, virile side of Syrah comes through loud and clear. I would give the 2018 at least a year or two in bottle as the aromatics are a bit suppressed at the moment. The Kimsey Syrah emerges exclusively from own-rooted blocks on the parcel. The 2019 was done with 4% Viognier and 5% whole clusters, an approach that worked so well. Aging was in neutral oak.
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Jeb Dunnuck
As to the 2018 Syrah, it too is an elegant, seamless wine. Lots of blueberry fruits, ground pepper, bouquet garni, and a touch of game emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied and has a pure, elegant texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish.
Rating: 93+
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.”
Accounting for only ten percent of the greater Santa Ynez AVA, Ballard Canyon’s north-south orientation provides an ideal pattern of sunshine and martime fog for producing excellent Syrah. While Syrah is planted to half of the total AVA acreage, an additional third is dedicated to other Rhône varieties, red and white.