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750ml
Bottle:
$48.89
$49.60
12 bottles:
$47.91
Black cherry, mixed berry pie, cocoa, vanilla, white flowers, honey.
750ml
Bottle:
$16.50
$18.33
It is simultaneously Bold and Balanced, Rich and Smooth, Fruit Forward and Earthy. It is impossibly dark and...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.94
$33.60
12 bottles:
$31.92
The 2020 Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard is a powerful, dense wine. Blueberry, blackberry, lavender, melted road tar...
750ml
Bottle:
$46.44
$51.94
The 2020 Syrah Estate was made with a touch of whole cluster and matured in neutral oak. Medium ruby-purple in color,...
750ml
Bottle:
$234.94
The 2021 Syrah Unanswered Prayers appears to be ever so slightly more successful than the Grenache (which, given the...
750ml
Bottle:
$40.88
Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills explodes with blackcurrant, blueberry, mint chocolate, violet and...
750ml
Bottle:
$424.94
$499.94
Named after Manfred’s grandfather, the 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2%...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.95
$22.80
A popping, lively, super-fresh nose and palate combines red fruits and firm boysenberry with a thick coat of riper...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.94
$27.60
12 bottles:
$26.40
In the glass, the 2022 Estate Grown Syrah possesses a deep black center with a bright red rim. On the nose,...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.94
12 bottles:
$41.94
(96-98) The 2022 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard ratchets up the intensity and has a saturated purple hue as well as a...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$138.74
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$146.04
Pre-Arrival
Sine Qua Non Ratsel 16 2016
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$378.35
Made exclusively from estate-grown fruit, the 2016 Syrah Ratsel 16 is composed of 81% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 5% Petite...
Pre-Arrival
Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara County 2016
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$70.65
Vibrant and zesty, with huckleberry and spiced cinnamon aromas and well-built blueberry, smoky meat and licorice...
Assyrtiko Sercial Syrah United States California Santa Barbara
Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.
The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.
Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?
Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet's most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn't easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.
Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.
California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.
Santa Barbara is home to many of California's most sought after wines, with a powerful reputation for superbly crafted, old world style big, flavorful and complex red wines. The white wine industry in the region is growing, too, with many wineries within Santa Barbara successfully experimenting with several classic white wine grape varietals. As in much of California, Santa Barbara benefits from the blazing west coast sunshine, coupled with cooling Pacific Ocean breezes and fogs, which help to temper the grapes and slow the ripening process, thus ensuring more flavor and aroma in the resulting wines. Although Santa Barbara is a relatively young wine region, it is home to many wineries who are extremely dedicated when it comes to demonstrating just how good their terroir is, and how characterful their region's wines can be.