Winemaker Notes
Growing wine at Colson Canyon, at an elevation of 1,400 feet, creates warm windy days with very cool nights. Creating a wine of power and finesse at the same time. First, the wine is thick with dense color, but when you put your nose in the glass fresh red and black fruits come to mind. A long coffee and vanilla finish. Texture coats your mouth for a few seconds while the wine lingers in your mouth.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard ratchets up the intensity and has a saturated purple hue as well as a killer nose of ripe black and blue fruits, graphite, ground pepper, and crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, concentrated, and powerful, it shines for its purity, has building tannins, and a great finish.
Range: 96-98 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard has an alluring nose of red, blue and black berries with accents of grilled game meats, forest floor and peppermint patty. The full-bodied palate is savory and deep, with chalky tannins, juicy acidity and a long finish laced with youthful cinnamon tones.
Rating: 95+ -
Wine Spectator
Displaying simmering intensity at the core, this dynamic red unfurls slowly, with blackberry and blueberry flavors accented by black olive, espresso and licorice notes as this gathers tension toward medium-grained tannins.
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.