In the nose, this wine exhibits dark raspberry and cranberry fruit with perfumed aromas of potpourri, savory spices, and a subtle hint of licorice. The light and elegant, yet focused, palate carries several layers of red berry and dark cherry fruit integrated with notes of black pepper, smoked meat, and ash, reminiscent of a summer campfire. This multi-layered palate continues on to a focused, concentrated finish which continues to evolve in the mouth with lingering red and black fruit with a hint of tobacco. This wine can be enjoyed with fish, chicken or duck over the next 5-7 years.

The L’Etranger blend is 60% Zinfandel, 35% Syrah and 5% Petite Syrah. This wine combines the spicy peppery flavors and up-front brambleberry and red cherry, with green pepper corn and cassis, and full mid-palate bringing elegant and dark cherry fruit in the finish, with hints of coffee and toffee in a surprising long finish for a Zinfandel based wine. Enjoy over a barbeque or red meat over the next 3-5 years.

Our Las Madres Syrah exhibits classic characteristics of both the Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie regions of the Northern Rhone Valley. From the Clone 174 in the Hulda Block, the wine exhibits dark berry fruit with earthy, leathery, notes in the mid-palate reminiscent of the Hermitage region from where this clone originates. From the Clone 300 in the Ester Block, the wine has big and brighter blueberry fruit notes up-front, followed by dark cherry and cassis fruit on the palate with a hint of white pepper spice on the finish reminiscent of the Côte-Rôtie region from where Clone 300 originates. One distinguishing characteristic of this and early vintages of the Las Madres Vineyard Syrah is the distinctive black olive notes in the nose. Although not as pronounced as when the vineyard was younger, this characteristic is a defining trait of this unique Syrah vineyard in the Los Carneros region.

On the nose, blackberry fruit dominates with hints of truffles, tobacco, and underlying herbal notes. Black raspberry, currant, and charcoal unfold in layers of fruit and Asian spice on the palate with subtle tannins and firm acid which creates movement on the palate. The tannins carry this medium bodied, yet focused and aggressive wine into a finish with notes of red raspberry fruit, black pepper spice, and hints of toasted oak. This wine is meant to be paired with food and should be enjoyed within the next 6 to 8 years.

VIE is all about “enjoying life”, Les Amours is all about the “loves” in life. Les Amours embraces this philosophy by blending Syrah from the Thompson and White Hawk vineyards with a little Mourvèdre for structure. The nose, like the color, is dark with muted dark red and black fruit. Hints of white pepper spice and dark fruit carry from the nose into the palate which enters with concentrated, focused black cherry and blackberry fruit well integrated with firm, gripping tannins. The tannins provide a long, elegant finish rich with dark blackberry and dark plum fruit with hints of burnt bacon grease, pepper and toasted oak that linger in a long 45+ second finish. This wine is big with great structure and good acidity similar to that the great wines from the Côte-Rôtie region and definitely needs age. This wine needs to cellar for 3-4 years and can be enjoyed for 15 or more years.

The wine evolves in the glass; beginning with sharp, black earthy notes then opening up to black cherry fruit with a hint of white pepper spice. On the palate, the wine tastes of blackberry fruit, then exposes hints of ruby red fruit and Asian spices. The tannins provide a long, elegant finish. This wine is a monster with great structure and good acidity. Cellar for 1-2 years and enjoy it for 8-10 more years.

This famed vineyard, planted with Estrella River Clone Syrah, is known for its earthy, meaty Hermitage-like characteristics and this wine is no exception. In the nose, black raspberry fruit and aged leather notes dominate while a core of blackberry fruit with hints of black olives, earth, and smoked meat linger within the layers of fruit. Soft, but present, tannins support the wine, carrying it into a medium to long finish with a grippy texture and lingering notes of red raspberry and black pepper. This wine needs a year or two more in the bottle and can be enjoyed over the next 8 years.

Our White Hawk Vineyard Syrah exhibits many of the unique characteristics of this classic Santa Barbara vineyard. At first glance, the deep, dark color with a slight blue hue, exhibits the focus, concentration, and depth of this wine. In the glass, the nose is filled with white pepper spice, violets, blueberries, dried herbs and a hint of aged leather. One the palate, this wine focuses on the dark fruit and tannins at first and begins to open to expose underlying layers of dark blackberries and blueberries accented by pepper, smoke and a hint of bacon. This wine is focused, but full-bodied on the palate, and it extends its dark fruit into a long finish supported by subtle, sweet tannins. Cellar this wine for 1-2 years and enjoy it for 10 more years.