Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Tensley – Syrah – 2023
Colson Canyon Vineyard – Santa Barbara County – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Syrah from the high-elevation Colson Canyon Vineyard, a benchmark site that consistently delivers powerful yet balanced fruit. This vintage shows tension between ripeness, structure, and freshness.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cracked pepper, violet, licorice, and a subtle smoky undertone. Dark, spicy, and focused.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with sleek acidity and fine, integrated tannins. Concentrated but not heavy, with a long, peppery finish that lingers.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb, beef skewers, duck confit, pepper-crusted steak, or roasted mushrooms.

Verdict
A balanced, expressive Syrah with depth, spice, and length – a great example of why Santa Barbara continues to challenge the top Rhône-style regions.

Did You Know?
Colson Canyon sits at nearly 1,500 ft elevation, producing small berries with thick skins, a key reason these Syrahs show intense color, aromatics, and age-worthy structure. — a day ago

Joe Flo

9.4

Wine Spectator #1 wine dinner. Definitely a crowd pleaser. — 2 months ago

Bryn and Tanya

9.8

We got vanilla and peach on the nose, with a struck-match edge that added a savory note. It felt delicate for a Chardonnay but very enjoyable. The balance was spot on. — 3 months ago

Raul Puga

9.4

Very smooth good fruit with notes of pepper. Really enjoyed it — 25 days ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Blackberry, rich and quite thick on palate, but with some very nice underlying acidity that provides some nice tension on the palate and into the lingering finish, very fine Central Coast Syrah! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Mike Obley

8.9

Seemed a bit tainted — 3 months ago

Ivan Peci

9.1

Regalo de David acosta — 14 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Dark peppery fruit. Lush with black cherry. Good balance. Delicious — a month ago

with Peter, Gregg and 1 other

Roman Ochocki

8.9

Very good. A blackberry, plum and trinity: an oak, a vanilla and tobacco. — 2 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Dark and inky ruby/purple color. Aromas of ripe red and black fruit, purple flowers, baking spices and a light touch of vanilla. Juicy flavors of dark cherry, black berry/currant and raspberry fruit with additional notes of chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cedar. A bit of black pepper spice on the long finish. Medium body and acidity with very smooth tannins. Well balanced and versatile. Solid quality for the price. — 4 months ago