Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Intensely dark and rich in the glass, this blend starts with aromas of bacon fat, brown sugar, maple, cassis and dark earth. The palate is plush, enveloping the mouth with impressive weight, and delivering flavors of black plum, coffee and toffee.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Comprised of 75% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 5% Viognier, the 2016 Red Wine Larner Vineyard has an opaque ruby-purple color and scents of eucalyptus, potting soil, red and black currants, bacon fat, blueberry and boysenberry preserves plus fried herbs, roasted lamb and cracked pepper. Full-bodied, dense and intense, it packs in the black and blue fruit preserves with very plush, rounded tannins and good freshness to lift the very long, dense finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2016 Red Wine Larner Vineyard is a Syrah-dominated blend that has 20% Grenache and 5% Viognier, all brought up in 50% new barrels (the Grenache was brought up in neutral oak). It’s young and unevolved, yet has impressive cassis and black raspberry fruit, lots of spice and meaty notes, subtle background oak, and a full-bodied, layered texture. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age but is a smoking Syrah from the Ballard Canyon region.
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.
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.