2019 Syrah
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The wine opens with scents of warmed blackberry cobbler, red and black currant jelly, and a bouquet of lilacs and violets, with nuances of black pepper and orange zest. On the palate the wine is bright and fresh but oh so layered, with waves of blueberry compote building to a crescendo of shaved chocolate, cranberry sauce with hints of garden mint and sweet pipe tobacco. The wine is drinking fabulously upon release but will gain complexity in your cellar if you have the patience.
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The grapes were picked on the cool morning of October 18th and destemmed and hand sorted in the winery. We chose to coferment 4% Viognier directly in with the Syrah to add a floral lift and intensify the color. After a 4 day cold soak, the grapes were punched down by hand for 18 days in one ton bins, each clone being vinified separately. After a careful pressing cycle, the wine was racked to barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. The wine rested for 26 months in 40% new French oak barrels before being bottle.
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Kimsey Vineyard is a 22-acre CCOF certified vineyard established by William and Nancy Kimsey. Planted in 2008 in the southwest corner of the Ballard Canyon AVA in beautiful Santa Barbara County, Kimsey Vineyard receives ample sunshine during the day and cool temperatures at night. Meticulous farming delivers fruit with great intensity and intoxicating aromas. The 2019 vintage was defined by a very long growing season with lighter than average yields. This relatively cooler and “extended” season resulted in grapes with terrific phenolic development (deep color and generous mouthfeel) and amazing aromatics.
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Vintage:
2019Vineyards/Varietals:
96% Kimsey Syrah from Ballard Canyon (Alban and Estrella Clones) 4% McGinley Viognier from Happy Canyon VineyardAVA:
100% Santa Barbara CountyAlcohol:
14.8% by volume -
2020 Syrah
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The wine opens with dried lavender, wild blueberries, camphor oil, and bergamont. On the palate it is fresh and savory, with black cherry, Herbs de Provence, melted licorice, and white pepper. Unique to this vintage are the spice notes of cardamon, cinnamon stick, graham cracker crust, and cloves that add depth and complexity. We held onto this vintage a little longer in bottle to allow all the components to mesh together. The wine gets better with air, so decanting is highly recommended.
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The grapes were brought in on Oct 1st, 100% destemmed and hand sorted. After a 4 day cold soak, both blocks were fermented together and kept on skins for an additional 10 days. After a careful pressing cycle, both the free run and press fraction were racked together into barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. The wine rested with minimal intervention in 45% new French oak for 26 months before being bottled.
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Our 2020 Syrah was sourced from two highly coveted vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Once again, we are working with the Kimsey Vineyard in the southwest corner of Ballard Canyon - I can’t say enough of how amazing this site is. This vintage marked our first time making Syrah from the Nolan vineyard, located in the newly created Alisos Canyon AVA. Owned by Peter and Stephanie Nolan, it was planted in 2018 to over 18 different varieties. We are fortunate enough to get in at the ground level from this incredible site which has a host of unique soils and slope aspects. The block we chose is planted on a steep southwest slope in Calcareous soils.
The 2020 vintage in Santa Barbara County avoided many of the unfortunate heat spikes and wildfire issues that affected the rest of California. Although we were spared that heartache, the vintage still tested our patience and resiliency regarding the growing season and grape maturity. We were very pleased with our picking decisions and the wine proves to be showcasing that in its gradual and complex evolution in bottle.
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Vintage:
2020Vineyards/Varietals:
100% Syrah; 51% Nolan Vineyard (Alisos Canyon - Alban clone), 49% Kimsey Vineyard (Ballard Canyon - Massal Selection)AVA:
100% Santa Barbara CountyAlcohol:
14.9% by volume -
2020 Syrah Tech Sheet