Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from 100% Syrah from the Bien Nacido Vineyard and aged 18 months in 75% new oak, the 2017 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyards has a more meaty bouquet that carries brilliant cassis and darker berry fruits, salted meats, ground pepper, violets, and lavender notes. Full-bodied, concentrated, voluptuous, and incredibly seamless on the palate, it has another level of polished elegance. It's brilliant Syrah from this talented winemaker to enjoy over the coming decade or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled a couple days before I tasted it, the 2017 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard has an opaque, purple-black color and is tightly coiled on the nose, slowly giving up rosemary crusted lamb, baked blackberries, dark chocolate, roasted coffee bean, boysenberry preserves and black olive. Full-bodied, rich and dense with a spicy vein, it has plushly textured, gently chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and intense. Give this at least another couple years in bottle.
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.