Winemaker Notes
Inky garnet in color, brilliant aromatics of ripe blue fruits, allspice and white pepper emanate from the glass. In the background, floral notes of lavender and violets intermingle with deeper components of prosciutto, buttered mushrooms and soy. The palate impression is tender and polished with a firm presence finishing with significant weight and focus.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is an awesome expression of cool climate Syrah, with rosemary-crusted lamb chops, peppercorns, asphalt and elderberry-jam aromas starting the show. The palate is intense with cracked pepper, bay leaf, rosemary oil and sage, which play against riper black-fruit tones and elegant lavender flavors.
-
Decanter
Not an oaky wine – the barrels are old – but a distinctly woody, spicy one from the 40% whole-bunch component. Cinnamon, mace, white pepper, woody herbs like rosemary. Plenty of juicy blue fruits, not too full-bodied, all hemmed in by piercing acidity. A long herbal finish. An intense, powerful, expressive wine, but the stemminess might be too pungent for some.
-
Wine Spectator
Generous yet refined, with vibrant blackberry, mint and smoky meat and pepper flavors that build momentum and depth toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2024.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the Syrahs, the 2016 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills sports a deep ruby color to go with a gamy, olive tapenade, peppery, dark fruited and straight-up classic Syrah character. This beauty is medium-bodied, has good acidity, and a balanced style that's ideal for drinking over the coming 7-8 years.
-
Wine & Spirits
A blend of estate-grown fruit from Donna’s Block (well-drained sand) and Block I (denser sandy loam), one-third of it fermented as whole clusters and all of it rested for nine months in neutral oak. This has both bright spice and richness, with nothing jammy about it. The flavors are simple and pretty, with salty notes of tapenade and nori. Pour it with grilled lamb.
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.