Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another blockbuster is Tensley's 2014 Syrah Colson Canyon. Yields were down close to 40% for this vineyard in 2014. The only wine to see new oak, it spends roughly 11-16 months in 40% new French oak prior to bottling. It offers incredible notes of graphite, olive tapenade, white pepper and decadent levels of black raspberry that flow beautifully to a full-bodied Syrah that has a huge mid-palate, plenty of tannin and a monster finish. It should have 10-12 years or longevity.
Range: 93-95 -
Wine Spectator
A brooding red that's just beginning to reveal itself. Aromas of blueberry, orange zest and bitter chocolate combine with powerful flavors of dark plum, smoky beef and cracked pepper. The tannins are big but ripe. Best from 2017 through 2027.
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.”
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.