Winemaker Notes
Once again, this blend brings together all of the fascinating microclimates Santa Barbara County has to offer. It’s based in Tensley’s backbone vineyards: Thompson, Colson Canyon, and Tensley, and also features Syrah from Cottonwood Canyon and Estelle Vineyards. Some of these vineyards are cool and fog-influenced, while others are dry and windy. The resulting wine celebrates all that each microclimate has to offer. The blend is elegant with complex notes of red plums, blackberries, exotic spices, and peppered meats. This wine shows silky tannins and beautiful balance..
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Syrah Santa Barbara County is another terrific wine that could be 2-3 times the price. Elegant, complex notes of red plums, blackberries, toasted spiced, peppered meats, and flowery incense all give way to a medium to full-bodied Syrah that has silky tannins, no hard edges, and just a balanced, layered style that’s impossible to resist. It’s beautifully done, as well as a smoking value. It will evolve for 8-10 years.
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Wine Spectator
Handsomely built and expressive, with intriguing blueberry, smoky meat and tapenade flavors that build richness and 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.