Winemaker Notes
The early fall breeze brushes through the orchard, bringing with it aromas of red plum, cinnamon bark, cocoa, and freshly oiled leather. The harvest table is bountiful; friends and family all gather round. Wooden bowls full of green olives and mixed berries are passed as you warm your hands on a rustic mug filled with anise black tea. You can’t help but smile with gratitude for the season.
Blend: 45% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A brooding core is wrapped in a polished, zesty texture, offering blackberry, cured meat and smoky cracked pepper flavors as this builds toward fine-grained tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Viognier. Drink now through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 45% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 21% Mourvèdre and 1% Viognier is quite light in the glass and shy in aromas at first, although patience reveals red-plum and wild herb touches. The lightly bodied palate is zippy in acidity, offering flavors of wild berry, rosewater, forest mint and white pepper.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 San Liege Offering is a big, bruising red wine. Yet, it stays delicious and beautiful as per its balance. TASTING NOTES: This impressive wine explodes with a load of fruit. Enjoy its bold, ripe berries and zany red fruits with oven-roast pork tenderloin. (Tasted: December 5, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2017 The Offering checks in as a blend of 45% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 21% Mourvèdre, and 1% Viognier aged 17 months in 27% new oak. Its ruby/plum color gives way to a great nose of blackberries, ground pepper, herbes de Provence, and licorice. Medium-bodied, with plenty of fruit and good balance, it’s California's answer to an outstanding Côtes du Rhône.
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.