Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Extreme amounts of cracked black pepper spice up the crumbled lilac, dark-black-plum and snappy red-currant aromas on the dynamic nose of this cool-climate bottling. There's a wild zestiness to the palate, where the peppery spice plays well with black-raspberry, lavender and rosemary flavors.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Syrah Estate Sta. Rita Hills is another rocking value. Seeing roughly 40% stems and all neutral oak, this deep purple/plum-colored 2018 gives up gamey, Northern Rhône-like notes of peppery herbs, tapenade, smoked black fruits, and violets. It tastes like a Cornas from Matthieu Barrett and will drink beautifully for a decade.
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Wine & Spirits
This radiates coolness in its scents of smoke and pine needles, lavender and clove. The flavors are rich blackberry compote, but the wine has the acidity needed to deliver a precise finish.
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The Somm Journal
Five different clones are planted on well-drained sandy loam and fermented 40% whole cluster with skin contact for 35 days. The ripe plum and plum skin that define the palate of this dense red are seasoned with spiced tomato, black peppered pomegranate, and a brushy heather finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Syrah Estate has a medium ruby color and bright, lifted scents of cracked pepper and mint with touches of olive and tar and a core of fresh blue and black fruits. The palate is concentrated, layered, fresh and lifted with a ripe, grainy frame and long finish.
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.