Winemaker Notes
This bottling contains classic Ballard Canyon aromas of cassis and blackberry, with hints of licorice. Concentrated flavors of dried cherries, blackberries and cocoa mix with velvety tannins that linger on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of smoked meat drizzled with berry sauce and dusted in cracked pepper show on the nose of this estate bottling. Clean lines of blackberry, dried herbs and blackberry converge on the cohesive palate.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah brought up mostly in French oak (there's a splash of American oak), the 2017 Syrah offers loads of black and blue fruits, ground pepper, and assorted meaty, earthy notes. Rounded, nicely textured, with sweet tannins, it offers loads of pleasure and is ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.
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.”
Accounting for only ten percent of the greater Santa Ynez AVA, Ballard Canyon’s north-south orientation provides an ideal pattern of sunshine and martime fog for producing excellent Syrah. While Syrah is planted to half of the total AVA acreage, an additional third is dedicated to other Rhône varieties, red and white.