Winemaker Notes
In the glass, black with glimmering red sparks. On the nose, a swirling fruit punch vortex with layered olive and black fruit in every twist and turn. In the mouth, a marriage of pop and depth like your favorite “guilty pleasure” album. The captivating line of Sangre Citrus Stone energy carries the day with a deeper ripe plum flesh and juiciness within. This benchmark edition of Crunchy Roastie mounts the podium with both gold and silver – flaunting both freshness and depth in a perfect one-two punch.
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.