Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I loved the 2014 Angeli, and this is up with the finest vintages of this cuvee to date. Made from 100% Syrah that saw plenty of stems in the fermentation, this full-bodied, elegant and gorgeously polished beauty offers tons of black raspberry, cassis, licorice, caramelized cherries and background notes of roasted meats. Drink this killer Syrah over the coming 7-8 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
As the Stolpman family's top-of-the-line bottling each vintage, this wine impresses on all fronts. Candied boysenberry, dried lilac, snapped dark chocolate and hints of dried mint show on the nose. The entry into the palate is refined and soft with juicy mulberry and elderberry fruit plus touches of thyme and forest floor. Firm but polished tannins and a decent dose of acidity ensure long drinkability. Drink now–2029.
Cellar Selection
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.