Winemaker Notes
Dense purple-violet and deep black velvet. Dark spices complimented with wafts of cola, blackberry, blueberry, and rose pedal. Secondary notes of rosemary, peppercorn, and thyme come to the fore. Subtle brioche toast in the background complement the spicy savage wild gamey fruit.
Refined but young with fine stone tannins – rounded, lively, and dense on the palate. Flavors of dense red fruit, dark chocolate with high notes of raspberry and sarsaparilla. Undertones of fresh leather, green olive pit, combines in an intricate weave of savory and spice.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from multiple vineyards (with the grapes added to an ongoing, extended, uninterrupted ferment) and aged 20 months in 86% new French Ermitage foudres, 2016 Syrah Uber is the flagship Syrah blend and spent 20 months in 86% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by meaty notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, ground pepper, truffle, and tapenade. It's a rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, sexy beauty that has ripe tannins, rock-solid overall balance, and a great finish. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
Bright aromas of candied blackberry meet with dewy herbs on the nose of this multiple vineyard blend by Doug Margerum. The palate combines black-currant juice with licorice, cracked black pepper and fresh acidity.
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.”
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.