Piedrasassi Santa Barbara County Syrah 2022

Piedrasassi is the Syrah project of Sashi Moorman, made in Santa Barbara County on the cool Central Coast. The fruit comes from coastal sites where the east to west valleys funnel ocean air and morning fog off the Pacific, giving long hangtimes and a wide diurnal swing that holds natural acidity while the grapes ripen slowly. Soils run to sand, shale and limestone, lending a savoury, mineral edge. Vinification follows a Northern Rhône template, with a high proportion of whole clusters in the fermentation and ageing in older French oak so the wood frames rather than flavours the wine. The whole bunches add stem tannin and a peppery lift, and time on skins builds colour and structure without heaviness. Expect a medium bodied red, deep purple in the glass, with blackberry, black olive, cracked pepper and dried herbs over a smoky, iron like finish. At 13.4 percent alcohol it stays fresh and food friendly. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted an hour ahead, alongside grilled lamb, peppered steak or roast aubergine.