Tensley 2019 Syrah, Colson Canyon, Santa Barbara

In 1998 Joey Tensley launched Tensley Wines with one hundred cases and one single goal – to start a well-priced, Syrah-driven brand that let the unique vineyards of Santa Barbara County speak for themselves.

Tensley purchased the Colson Canyon Vineyard in 2016. Colson Canyon Vineyard was planted in 1997 with clone 877 and clone 7 from the Rhone Valley. This vineyard has 16 acres of planted vines on a property of 115-acres. The vineyard is planted predominantly with Syrah with small amounts of Grenache. The property faces a large canyon ridge that hugs the Los Padres Nation Forest and has a West facing aspect.

Tensley's Colson Canyon Syrah has quite a bit of renown. In 2008 Food and Wine Magazine named the 2006 Colson Canyon Syrah “Top Syrah in America Over $20.” Two years later, Robert Parker gave the 2008 Anniversary Series Colson Canyon Syrah 99 points, and The Wine Spectator named the 2008 Colson Canyon Syrah #17 of its Top 100 Wines in the World. The 2007 Colson Canyon Syrah was ranked #22 the year before.

This 2019 fits the mold perfectly. Recently a barrel sample was scored 94-96 by Jeb Dunnuck who said "A more elegant, perfumed, floral wine from this site, the 2019 Syrah Colson Canyon offers Côte Rôtie-like black raspberry, violets, spring flowers, and gamey, meat-driven aromatics. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully textured, with a kiss of background oak, it's going to show nicely right out of the gate yet also have two decades of longevity."