Winemaker Notes
The experiment we began in 2011 continues with this offering of 2016 Syrah 50% Grenache 50% from the new John Sebastiano Vineyard located on the eastern edge of the cool Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County. Please see my notes from last year (scroll down), but in a nutshell here is the deal:
We use sulfites in our wines sparingly. It’s traditionally added to avoid having wine turn into vinegar and in small quantities sulfites seem to preserve perfume and freshness, while larger amounts make wines more brittle, hard and rubbery. We were intrigued by a delicious sulfite free wine that a former employee (Sashi Moorman) made, and thought it would be a fun challenge to try making one ourselves. Our first effort was in 2011 when we made a lively syrah with a particularly easygoing texture—which we attributed to the lack of added sulfites. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Syrah Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard (No So2) offers up a rich, fruity nose of blackberry, plum preserve and Provençal herbs. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and juicy, with deliciously immediate fruit and a fine-grained, savory finish. Vinified without any added sulfites, this will offer delicious drinking in its youth.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.