Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah is elegant, showing perfumed notes of violets on the nose but it also packs a punch with its smoked meat notes, deep purple fruits and notes of graphite and pepper. The lights touch of new oak balances the chocolate of the wine with notes of vanilla. This wine is rich and approachable now. It can also age beautifully over the next 12 years.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe blackberries, roasted herbs, cured meats, black olives, chocolate, and iron all emerge from the 2019 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard, a big, ripe, opulent example of this cuvée. All Syrah aged in roughly 20% new French oak, it's full-bodied, rich, and sexy on the palate, with ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. Reminding me of a great old school Cornas (or Hermitage?), it has spot-on balance, no hard edges, and a great finish. It clearly puts its foot on the ripeness scale, and I don't think it's going to be the longest lived here, but it's one seductive beauty of a Syrah that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard has blossomed since I last tasted it in early 2022. It's bursting with pure scents of mixed berry jam, cured meats, cracked pepper, green olive and cast iron, plus wafts of lilac and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly concentrated for its slender frame of silky tannins. It has vibrant acidity and a very long, layered finish streaked with floral and spice accents.
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Wine Spectator
Gutsy yet plush and expressive, this red bursts with fresh raspberry and blueberry flavors that take on garrigue, smoked meat and pepper accents as it builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now
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.”
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.