Winemaker Notes
This wine is loaded with black olive tapenade, blackberries, boysenberries and cured meat. Lots of white pepper is the trademark of the cold climate along with the bright acidity. This is not the big juicy syrah most people know the grape to be. Think elegance and beauty. Pair this wine with an array of hard cheeses or roasted rack of lamb.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
All Syrah that was fermented with 65% whole clusters and aged in neutral wood, the 2022 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills is a riper, more sun-kissed expression compared to the 2023. Ripe red and black fruits, leather, sweet spices, and dried flowers all give this an Hermitage-like character, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish.
-
James Suckling
A beautiful, sleek, cold-climate red that offers an elegant texture and distinctive fruit flavors. Red fruit, soy, mushrooms and olives. So well balanced, moderately tannic and appetizing.
-
Vinous
The 2022 Syrah Estate is particularly velvety in texture for a cold-climate Syrah, but there's no shortage of peppery, herbaceous intensity to remind you that this is the Sta. Rita Hills. Brambly fruit, oil-cured olive, licorice and star anise are all finely delineated in the glass, all elevated by mentholated freshness. This distinctive Syrah is a study in inner contrasts.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Syrah Estate was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 228-liter barrique. A timeless nose of red fruits, black pepper and beef jerky leads to a silky, high-toned palate lined with refreshing saline touches and solid fruit concentration. It finishes on a balanced, bright and energetic note.
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.