Winemaker Notes
This 2020 bottling screams Bien Nacido Syrah with its distinctive cool-climate character. Our 2020 Syrahs are all super site-expressive, which you might not expect considering how hot the vintage was. The aromatics here are redolent with Bien Nacido’s typical spruce and violets woodsiness, along with olive, asphalt, and cured beef. The vintage really shows in the brawn here. There’s a commanding entry with dark berries, herby olives and oak-fired meat saturating the palate, then the wine tapers into spices, graphite, and sneaky floral notes throughout its grippy finish.
The feel here is a throwback to some of our Bien Nacido Syrahs from the ‘00s, like the 2006. That also was a dense and vibrant Syrah, and it’s continuing to age beautifully. This 2020 bottling will too.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Crunchy aromas of black raspberry, white pepper and singed meat show on the nose of this bottling, which showcases the Syrah potential of this vineyard in all its cool-climate glory. The peppery spice of the palate is immediate and thorough, enlivening the crisp raspberry and elderberry flavors. Hints of lavender linger on the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Textbook Bien Nacido notes of smoky black fruits, bouquet garni, black pepper, and subtle gamey, violet nuances define the 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, a medium-bodied, balanced, elegant Syrah with good concentration as well as the more focused, nicely structured, balanced style favored by this estate. It's drinking beautifully today, yet there's no reason this won't evolve for 15-20 years if well stored.
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.