2018 Kimsey Syrah

 

The Kimsey Vineyard is a small, organically farmed, 22-acre vineyard in the Ballard Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara County. The vineyard was planted in 2008 mostly to Syrah with a small amount of Grenache, Viognier, and Roussanne.

In 2013 we began working with Kimsey Vineyard, one of many vineyards under the direction of our friend and famous vineyard manager Ruben Solórzano (AKA ‘The Grape Whisperer’). Kimsey is densely planted, and meticulously farmed, and is quickly proving to be a very special Syrah growing site in Ballard Canyon.

Our fruit comes from the Massal clone block, which has seven different clones of Syrah inter-planted sequentially.  This makes for striking energy and complexity in the wine, as the different clones all have subtly different ripening schedules, and subtly different physiologies - some more floral, some more tannic, and some more earthy.

This wine was made with hand-picked fruit that was 75% de-stemmed and fermented in an open-top tank.  We aged in 2-year-old and older French oak for 18 months and bottled the wine unfined and unfiltered.

This bottling of Syrah Kimsey is muscular and powerful. 2018 offers up a compelling mix of smoke, game, tobacco, and wild cherry.  The natural power and fleshiness of this Ballard Canyon site are tempered by our restrained approach.  This is a compelling wine of personality and distinction.  The whole clusters are nicely integrated into the wine’s fabric.

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