96pts Wine Enthusiast

An extremely comforting range of aromas entices the nose on this bottling, from baked cherry and French toast spices to peppercorns and buttery pastry. Smoked meat and cracked peppercorn flavors pair deliciously with rosemary, grilled fruit and strong espresso touches on the palate. 

Winemaker Notes

The 2022 Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah is an intensely colored wine that pours an opaque deep red. The nose is brambly and spicey with floral notes. This medium to full-bodied syrah is round and silky with flavors of ripe berry compote, brine, and coco-powder. Ready to drink now, but further aging will be rewarded. 

Winery Notes

This wine is a blend of Estrella clone and 383 grapes, which are fermented separately. These grapes come from Blocks 11b and 48. They are hand-picked, fully destemmed, with 30% of the stems reintroduced during fermentation. The process starts with a 3-day cold soak in an open- top tank, with three punchdowns daily. The wine remains in contact with the skins for a total of 24 days. Bien Nacido Vineyard is undoubtedly one of the most legendary vineyards in all of California. Situated in the cool Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. It is one of the oldest cool-climate vineyards and home of the world’s most single vineyard designations, Bien Nacido Vineyard has been an acclaimed source of world-glass grapes and estate wine since its founding in 1973 by brothers Stephen and Bob Miller.