Winemaker Notes

Vineyard

Our Gold Dust Vineyard Estate Syrah planted high on a ridge line at 2,700’ elevation in 100% granitic soils was the driving reason we decided to purchase our vineyard. The well-draining granitic soils and similar-ish climate closely resemble the growing conditions of the Northern Rhône region of France where native Syrah thrives. In reverence to this, I make our Syrah using ancient techniques of whole cluster spontaneous fermentation, daily foot-treading and aging in old (neutral) French Oak barrels, yielding a California wine reminiscent of its old world counterparts.

Vintage

The 2022 vintage was marked by a late start with cool weather (and even a few snows!) into April and early May. The weather warmed up as August arrived and featured several extended heat streaks, which made it challenging to forecast appropriate picking times. That said, overall the 2022 wines show tremendous aromatics, structure, and depth.

Varietal

When I started making wine in 2010, Syrah was the first grape I locked down. I fell in love with this versatile grape in college on the Central Coast of California where the variety makes brooding and structured wines in the warm climate of the Santa Ynez Valley. While Syrah thrives in both cool and warm climates and in many different soils, I feel like Syrah grown in granitic soils yields the most genuine expression of the grape, boasting both savory and bramble fruit characteristics, framed with significant structure; resulting in a wine that has depth, complexity, and verve.