Piedrasassi, Santa Barbara County (California) “PS” Syrah 2021 ($30)

In 1966 winemaker Sashi Moorman was Adam Tolmach’s first employee at The Ojai Vineyard. Nowadays he is also winemaking-partner of Sandhi and Domaine de la Côte in Santa Barbara, and Evening Land Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. With Piedrasassi, he offers several single vineyard Syrahs and other Rhône-style wines. His “PS” Syrah is sourced from several vineyards within Santa Barbara County. It was native yeast fermented, aged 17 months in neutral barrels and puncheons, and bottled un-fined and unfiltered. Syrah fans need to buckle up for this one because it runs at full throttle beginning with aromatic notes recalling bacon, leather, and black olive. It is dense and compact on the palate with rich flavors of black fruit, black currants, smoked meats, and some dusty tannins. Some fruit emerges in the finish but overall, this is a wild ride.
93 Norm Roby