Lillian Syrah California 2015

California wines don’t get much more cultish than Sine Qua Non. The Ventura County producer’s ethereal bottlings, evocative labels, small production, and lofty price points mean that these coveted bottles land in the cellars of the very few. But the winery has also proven to be a formative winemaking academy of sorts for some of our favorite innovators- first and foremost, Maggie Harrison.

After eight years of working in the cellar alongside founder Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, and with his encouragement, Maggie was presented with an entrepreneurial opportunity. She was offered fruit to make a small batch of Syrah from the White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County under her own label, Lillian. Years later, in addition to reaching cult-level status with her small production of exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon under the Antica Terra label, the wines of Lillian remain in the very small, elite guild of wines made by winemakers who cut their teeth at the legendary winery. These wines emulate the Sine Qua Non style that is unmistakable, unforgettable, and extraordinary. The goal with the Syrah, as with all Lillian wines, is to utilize historical, noble varieties in a sun-drenched place but work with the fruit in such a way as to give the wines levity and lift. Hence, the label is a representation of a feather. Maggie Harrison is a Sine Qua Non alumna who has left the nest and is soaring to new heights! 

"Certain gifts are given to the winemaker in California: the fruit will always ripen, it will never suffer from a lack of depth of character, of power. It is not my nature to lean away from these gifts or try to deny them by picking excessively early or by over- cropping the vineyard. I choose instead to lean in, to meet the fruit where it is. The goal with the Syrah, as with all Lillian wines, is to work with these historical, noble varieties in a sun-drenched place but work with the fruit in such a way to give the wines levity and lift. A certain transparency and fineness of detail. The Syrah, as a result, is not particularly Syrah-like. It doesn't scream out the usual cocktail of blackberries, bacon fat, and lavender. It always feels a bit more about the people and the places than the variety. The wines are lavish, but there is refined rocky quality in them that defies description. The label is a representation of a feather. It has, for me, two meanings. When I was first talked into making my own wine, it felt a bit like being pushed out of the nest as a fledgling. It is a reminder that even the impossible is, in fact, not just possible but instinctual. It also serves as a reminder of all that we're hoping to achieve with these wines: levity, flight and a fineness of detail." ~Maggie Harrison