Winemaker Notes
This 2015 is striking and to enjoy its racy character now, it should be pared with savory meats—lamb is my recommendation. It’s going to have a long life and probably will begin revealing itself in 5 to 7 years, and certainly will last for 20.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Deeper colored than the 2016 Syrah Santa Barbara County, the 2015 Syrah Bien Nacido is getting up there in rarified air and is possibly the finest Syrah I’ve tasted from the estate. Thrilling notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, spring flowers, and bacon fat all soar from the glass. With full body, building yet ultra-fine tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and truly awesome purity, it certainly makes the best of this vintage and is a tour de force in Syrah that readers owe it to themselves to taste! It’s going to cruise in the cellar for upward of two decades.
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 lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.