93pts Jeb Dunnuck

All Syrah that was fermented with 65% whole clusters and aged in neutral wood, the 2022 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills is a riper, more sun-kissed expression compared to the 2023. Ripe red and black fruits, leather, sweet spices, and dried flowers all give this an Hermitage-like character, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

93pts James Suckling

A beautiful, sleek, cold-climate red that offers an elegant texture and distinctive fruit flavors. Red fruit, soy, mushrooms and olives. So well balanced, moderately tannic and appetizing.

92pts Vinous

The 2022 Syrah Estate is particularly velvety in texture for a cold-climate Syrah, but there's no shortage of peppery, herbaceous intensity to remind you that this is the Sta. Rita Hills. Brambly fruit, oil-cured olive, licorice and star anise are all finely delineated in the glass, all elevated by mentholated freshness. This distinctive Syrah is a study in inner contrasts.

91pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2022 Syrah Estate was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 228-liter barrique. A timeless nose of red fruits, black pepper and beef jerky leads to a silky, high-toned palate lined with refreshing saline touches and solid fruit concentration. It finishes on a balanced, bright and energetic note.

Winery Notes

This wine is loaded with black olive tapenade, blackberries, boysenberries and cured meat. Lots of white pepper is the trademark of the cold climate along with the bright acidity. This is not the big juicy syrah most people know the grape to be. Think elegance and beauty. Pair this wine with an array of hard cheeses or roasted rack of lamb.

The fruit for this wine comes exclusively from our Sta. Rita Hills estate and is a combination of five different Syrah clones (Estrella, Beaucastel 99, 1, 383, 470). The Estrella, 383 and 470 are planted on nutrient deficient, well-drained sand, which always lends an intoxicating and high-toned bouquet of white pepper flowers and spice, while the Clone 99 from Block I is planted on denser sandy loam soil, bringing depth and
richness to the table. Harvested mid to late November, 60% of the fruit was gently de-stemmed with 40% remaining as whole clusters and was fermented in small 1.5 ton open top fermenters. Total skin and stem contact averaged 35 days (7-day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, and 2+ week extended maceration).

From the press, the wine was transferred directly to neutral barrels (15+ year-old French oak) where it remained sur lie with no sulfur until August when it was gently pressure racked for the first time and prepared for bottling in September. Yields were 2.75 lbs/vine (2.5 tons per acre).