2016 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard

About 2016 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard:

This is a complex, bold wine that has a history of aging magnificently for up to 15 years and longer.

Tasting Notes:

Wonderful nose of dried violet, cracked green and black peppercorn, black olive, roasted coffee, bitter chocolate and a core packed to the gills with warm black and blue fruits. Full-bodied, it has tons of fruit and savory layers, with very firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness to lift that impenetrable flavor through to the finish.

Growing Notes:

Grapes for 2016 Jaffurs Syrah were sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyard, famous for their Viognier, Syrah, and Grenache. The winemaker limits vineyard yields and require that optimal farming practices are observed. Bien Nacido Vineyard gave exceptional fruit in 2016. Moderate, consistent temperatures provided balance in the fruit as well as optimal ripeness. The resulting wine shows dark fruit aromatics, supported by anise and white pepper. Plum and wild berry integrate with Northern Rhône Syrah characteristics of cassis, tar, graphite and white pepper.

Harvest Dates: 2016

Winemaking Notes:

Syrah 97%, Viognier 3%. All of the wines are carefully made in small lots. Wines are crushed, pressed, cellared, and bottled in their Santa Barbara facility.

About The Winery:

Jaffurs Wine Cellars is dedicated to producing great Rhône varietal wines with a New World independence. Their wines – Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Viognier, and Roussanne – are among the best in the county. Founder Craig Jaffurs produced his first professional wines during the 1994 harvest. All of his wines are carefully made in small lots. Approximately 5,000 cases are produced each year. They work closely with the growers in the Santa Ynez, Ballard Canyon, Santa Rita Hills, Los Alamos, and Santa Maria regions. The winemaker limits vineyard yields and require that optimal farming practices are observed.  All of their wines are crushed, pressed, cellared, and bottled in their Santa Barbara facility.

In September of 2001 Jaffurs Wine Cellars completed construction of a new winery facility in the city of Santa Barbara. This modern, climate-controlled facility allows them to make wine at a natural and careful pace. They process all the fruit from the harvest here and the resulting wines show the benefits of this improved process.

Jaffurs Wine Cellars owns no vineyards. They purchase premium wine grapes only from Santa Barbara County vineyards: Thompson (Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre), Bien Nacido (Viognier, Syrah, Grenache), Larner (Syrah, Grenache), Kimsey (Syrah) and Stolpman (Grenache, Roussanne) vineyards.