Andremily Syrah #8 Santa Barbara County 2019

Founded by Jim Binns, the Cellar Master and Manfred Krankl's right hand man at Sine Qua Non, this minimal production wine is named for Andrew and Emily Binns, Jim and Rachel's children. Sixteen years into his career at Sine Qua Non, Jim started his label, Andremily Wines, which focuses on Rhone varietals and celebrates each vintage's unique characteristics.

The vineyard sources for Andremily's No. 8 are White Hawk in Cat Canyon, Alta Mesa in Santa Barbara County, and Larner and Harrison-Clark vineyards in Ballard Canyon. The distinct climates of these vineyards make for an intriguing blend; from 3,200 ft. elevation with granite and clay loam to minutes from the shoreline and sandy soils, the diversity of terroir is striking.  

The majority of this blend is Syrah with a touch of Mourvedre (9%) and a splash of Viognier (3%). A little more than half the berries were de-stemmed, and after vinification, the wine aged in 65% new French oak barrels for 22 months. Dark and brooding come to mind when describing the ripe blue fruits, spiced plum jam, and black licorice. The palate is plush with white pepper and sarsaparilla hints, full-bodied yet fresh with a lingering spicy finish.  Released once a year and highly allocated, this is a Syrah for the avid collector and will age gracefully over the next five years. However, suppose patience is not your strong suit. In that case, a good decant will certainly coax the Andremily No. 8 out of its shell and show off its voluptuous, fruitful youth.