Winemaker Notes
Randall Grahm is a legend of California winemaking, particularly for his trailblazing work with Rhone Varieties in the Central Coast. The Language of Yes is his latest project, an attempt to capture the essence of old world wines through the 'uniqueness of the vineyards and...the (mostly) sunny disposition of California.'
Blend: 87% Syrah, 13% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Grapes for the 2020 Syrah En Passerillage were air-dried for three days, co-fermented with 20% Viognier and made with 50% whole clusters. It has a deep ruby-purple color and alluring perfume of blackcurrant, blueberries, mint chocolate, lilac, white pepper and garrigue. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated but light on its feet, with dusty-textured tannins and bursts of juicy acidity highlighting its floral perfume on the long finish.
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Decanter
From the cool site, Rancho Réal, Randall Grahm brings us a savory and sappy fruit-driven Syrah with loads of Old World character. Complemented by a full 20% co-ferment of Viognier, this wine delivers aromas of purple florals to augment those savory, peppery characters and dark yet fresh blackberry fruits. Dark fruit and a streak of black basalt minerality only augment the gamy flavors of meaty char and savory herbs. Plenty of fruit and
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James Suckling
White pepper, blue-fruit and violet aromas. Medium body with fine tannins. Lovely fruit. Bright acidity. Linear and very fine.
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Wine Enthusiast
This latest project by Randall Grahm involves picking grapes a bit early and then drying them a tad before fermentation. In this wine, that leads to aromas of charred meat, tar, violet and purple fruits on the nose. Similar elements emerge on the sip, with açai and black pepper proving most prominent as the wine spreads its wings.
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Wine Spectator
An Old World style that's compact and appealingly savory, opening to cherry and cranberry flavors that are laced with hints of forest floor, black tea and white pepper. Drink now through 2030.
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.”
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.