2020 Piedrasassi "Bien Nacido" Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, California, USA
There are 3 units left in stock.
ABOUT THIS WINE
Bright and expressive aromas of pomegranate, wild berries, spice box, and dry-aged meat fill the glass. The harmonious bouquet gives way to a sumptuous mid-palate that is brimming with fruit flavors. With time these primary traits will give way to the wine's more savory elements. It is a grand and gratifying wine at the moment that showcases the true character of Bien Nacido. 158 cases bottled.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Piedrasassi cultivates grapes and grain in the Central Coast of California. Through their bread and wine, they endeavor to tell the stories of this unique region and its people. In the vineyards and fields, their family’s winery and bakery, they approach their work with a reverence for place and a responsible hand—seeking to celebrate the innate beauty of each harvest.
They primarily cultivate and vinify Syrah, a variety with which winemaker Sashi Moorman has worked for over two decades. Today, the viticultural heritage of the Northern Rhone and the pioneering ethos of the Central Coast equally inform his engagement with Syrah.
Piedrasassi's points of interest within the greater Central Coast are found in its remarkable east-west transverse valleys, shaped by an era of tectonic contortion and upheaval. Here, geologic time stands on its head: diverse soils of varying epochs are often entangled. Receptive to the daily rhythms of the Pacific’s cooling winds and pervasive fog, these valleys and, in particular, their constituent hillsides, are host to some of California’s most compelling terroir for Syrah.
In the winery, they strive to coax from each harvest its individual expression of place. They employ, in balance, time-honored technique, observations from our travels, and intuition. They cultivate the native yeasts of their vineyards before fermenting without additives or the manipulation of temperature. They often make use of the whole grape cluster – its berries and stems. Their wines are then raised in large, used barrels, and, finally, bottled with only minimal sulfur – and without any fining or filtration.
The estate does not shy away from experimentation, but their work is always in the service of the same principles: Piedrasassi is committed to ecological responsibility and the health of their patrons; their wines are structured to unfurl with age, to share with each passing year a new facet of a time and place; and wine must show up at the dinner table — that is, its most complete expression should be apparent alongside food and in good company.