2019 Tensley Syrah Noir
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Tasting notes
A barrel selection of the best from the vintage, the 2019 Syrah Noir comes from vines planted in 1997 in Colson Canyon vineyard (60%), plus vines from proprietor Joey Tensley's home, which are now about 10 years old. Opaque ruby-purple, it's super aromatic and alluring: mint chocolate, soy sauce, cast iron and grilled beef are accented by wafts of violet and dark spice. The palate is full-bodied with fine, chocolate-textured tannins, intense flavor layers and seamless acidity, finishing long and layered.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Syrah Noir is a five barrel blend from Tensley and Colson Canyon. It is the most overt and racy of the wines in the Tensley range. Super-ripe dark bluish fruit, chocolate, sweet spice and new leather build with a bit of time in the glass. This sumptuous Syrah needs a bit of time to integrate its oak, but wow, it is a stunner.
Similarly inky colored, the 2019 Syrah Noir is the finest wine I’ve ever tasted from this estate, and it tops out on my scale. All Syrah, mostly from Colson Canyon yet 25% from Tensley Estate, it offers more black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, chocolate, and integrated oak, and the purity of fruit is as good as it gets. Full-bodied and ultra-fine, with no hard edges, this is incredibly pure, polished, and perfectly balanced, with thrilling, ultra-fine tannins. It will stand up with the best Syrahs out there, and hats off to Joey Tensley.