2019 Santa Barbara Syrah

The 2019 Syrah Tensley Estate is a bigger, richer Syrah offering a kiss of iron in its red and black fruits, peppery herbs, and spicy oak-like aromas and flavors. All Syrah from vines just outside of Tensley’s house, aged in one-third new barrels, it’s medium to full-bodied, rich, textured, and long. I don’t think it has the complexity of the other Syrahs here, but it brings fruit and texture, and my money is on it evolving for at least 10-12 years.

Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Syrah Santa Barbara County is another terrific wine that could be 2-3 times the price. Elegant, complex notes of red plums, blackberries, toasted spiced, peppered meats, and flowery incense all give way to a medium to full-bodied Syrah that has silky tannins, no hard edges, and just a balanced, layered style that’s impossible to resist. It’s beautifully done, as well as a smoking value. It will evolve for 8-10 years. The 2018s from Tensley are some of the finest wines he’s made. They have the classic, opulent style he’s known for paired with more freshness, purity, and acidity. His wines age beautifully, but my money is on his 2018s evolving even longer. The 2019s are close in style, yet have even fresher, more elegant profiles. These wines will put on weight over the course of their élevage, and this is certainly another brilliant vintage. If you take prices into account, dollar for dollar, these are some of the greatest wines out there.