Lovers of both the great California Syrahs of years past and those whose Syrah palate vier towards the northern Rhone will find a lot to enjoy in these brooding and complex wines.

The recipe is simple; harvest grapes from one of the state's legendary vineyards, Heintz on the Sonoma Coast, and keep production small. Very small. SInce the beginning they have only ever produced two barrels and as far as I know that is never going to change.

Though the wines in each barrel are made the same exact way one gets a tiny dose of sulphur while the other gets none at all. 

No matter what variety is planted there, grapes from the Heintz vineyard produce wines with relatively high acidity and minerality that have a conspicuous ability to age for a surprisingly long time while remaining extraordinarily fresh.

Located in Occidental, Heintz is a cool site at the extremes of ripening Syrah. Farmed by Charlie Heintz the block is a mix of traditional clones and massale selections and is farmed organically.

Garret & Jodie know that their job is to guide this incredible fruit without getting in the way. Fermented with partial stem inclusion, in open top fermenters with nativeyeats the wine are never fined or filtered. This helps preserve the full flavor profile of what is honestly my favorite red variety.

The 2019 like always is dark and very floral, rustic and bloody. There are notes of wet pine needles and oil cured olives. The texture is steamy and tannic.

This tips its hat heavily towards the Northern Rhone while still being purely Californian. The warm vintage gave the wines metier quality. It reminds me of Cornas albeit much gentler. The difference between the two 

Syarh in California has been given short shrift for far too long. Balck trumpet amongst others highlight California’s ability to harness this Nobel varieties incredible signature rusticity while remaining elegant. Like I said there isn’t  a lot to go around and we always sell out so act now or forever hold your peace.