Larner Vineyard Transverse Santa Barbara Syrah 2018 93pts Organic

93 Points Vinous
The 2018 Syrah Transverse is dark, racy and absolutely gorgeous. Black cherry, scorched earth, tobacco, leather and spice bring out the darker side of Syrah. The 2018 is powerful and elegant at the same time, with plenty of forward fruit and tons of allure on full display. Michael Larner sources grapes from various sites for this wine, including Dorigo, Estelle, Shokrian and Donnachadh, in addition to a dollop of fruit from Larner itself.

92 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2018 Syrah Transverse comes from a mix of vineyards and was brought up all in neutral French oak puncheons. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a spicy, peppery Syrah offering lots of ripe dark fruits, some cool-climate, gamey nuances, medium-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine and a great value.

The 2018 Santa Barbara County Transverse is named after the Santa Ynez Transverse Mountain range that runs east west in Santa Barbara’s wine country. It is an approachable blend of Syrah grapes from select vineyard sites across the valley. Larner's grapes are organically grown.

Set among the rolling hills of the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara California, Larner Vineyard & Winery is a family-owned and operated boutique estate with an extremely limited production of 900 cases per year. The 134-acre property includes 35 acres of grapevines and is one of the showcase vineyards in the recently establish Ballard Canyon AVA.

Founded in 1999, the vineyard is currently entering its prime production years and the site is uniquely suited to Rhône Valley varieties. Most of the estate is planted to Syrah, but there is also Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier and the Italian white Malvasia Bianca. Special pride is taken in producing the highest quality fruit under the most stringent guidelines of custom farming. The vineyards are organically farmed.

Wine Notes
This is a bright, fruit-forward wine with bursting tones of red cherry, blackberry, leather and dark chocolate. There are tangy notes of exotic spice that drive up the mid-weight mouthfeel and soft tannic structure. Ultimately, Transverse aims to achieve an easy-drinking style with a sunny, all California personality. Aged 14 months in 10% new and 90% neutral French and American oak puncheons (large oak barrels).