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Stereophonic Gilded Splinters
Ballard Canyon Syrah. Cornas-like. No apologies.
ALLOCATION II
Dusk-Driven · Syrah · Ballard Canyon
Producer
Kimsey Vineyard in Ballard Canyon is a reference site for Santa Barbara Syrah — its fruit goes to Jaffurs, Andremily, Dragonette, Blair Fox, and Stereophonic. The block used for Gilded Splinters is farmed by Ruben Solorzano of Stolpman/Coastal Vineyard Care and represents some of the best Syrah material in Santa Barbara.
🌘 Dusk· 🪨 Stone
Dusk primary — this is Syrah at its most brooding and structured. The smoked meat and dark spice aromatics, the extract and tannin, and the demanding finish are the clearest possible expression of Dusk energy. Stone secondary — Ballard Canyon's mineral soils run through this wine like a geological spine, giving its substantial fruit and tannin a precision that lifts it well above its California origins.
Tasting note
Wooly, burly, chewy, and sultry. Smoked meats, briar patch, blood plum, black pepper, rosemary, and tea. Mid-weight and viscous with tongue-staining extract and plenty of tannin and acidity — this is Syrah that almost feels like a robust, gravelly young Nebbiolo. 50% whole cluster, aged in used barriques from Alban Powerblock clone fruit.
Details
Grape Syrah
Region Ballard Canyon
Vintage 2020
Country United States
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    Potion Collector

    2020 Stereophonic Syrah — Gilded Splinters / Kimsey Vineyard

    2020 Stereophonic Syrah — Gilded Splinters / Kimsey Vineyard

    $65.00 USD
    $65.00 USD
    Sale Sold out

    Whenever I think about Syrah, I think of the Joan Jett song, “I Hate Myself For Loving You.”  I’m a complete pushover for Syrah.  A Stan.  A Simp.  A Puppet.  I won’t pretend Syrah is easy to sell, but will I ever stop making it?  No fuckin’ way!  Syrah is the goddamn greatest and I will keep looking for sick variations on this incredible grape.

    2020 brings a much darker personality than our 2018 release from John Sebastiano.  Where that was cool-climate delicacy, silken and Burgundian, this is wooly, burly, chewy and sultry.  This Syrah is sitting out on the porch all night long, listening to the sounds of the French Quarter, and goes to sleep when the sun rises.

    Smoked meats and briar patch aromas frame game and red plum.  On the palate, the spiciness of the clusters imparts notes of tobacco, black pepper, rosemary and tea.  The palate is mid-weight, viscous morello-cherry Syrah of the type I treasure from Cornas with tongue-staining extract and plenty of tannin and acidity.  It almost feels like a robust, gravelly young Nebbiolo.  The finish is aerial blackberry and fine tannins on the palate.  There is a lot of promise in this young wine.

    Besides the Matt Dees-made Kimsey Estate wines, Kimsey fruit goes to Jaffurs, Andremily, Dragonette, Blair Fox and fellow BD participant Dusty Nabor. It’s farmed by Ruben Solorzano of Stolpman/Coastal Vineyard Care.  The rows come from Block 4B, Alban Powerblock clone.  It’s 50% whole cluster and is aged in used barriques.

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