MinusTideMendocinoRidgeValentiSyrah

The south-facing Valenti Vineyard lies at elevations of 300-500m, 10km from the Pacific Ocean. Planted in 1998, this vineyard made winemakers Brad Jonas and Kyle Jeffrey fall in love with cool-climate California Syrah. The perfect site for Syrah, Valenti’s cooling coastal winds enable the grapes to ripen slowly and at lower sugar levels, producing wines of complexity, vibrancy, and balance. The classic pepperiness that is such a signature of this site’s Syrah can sometimes even be tasted in the grapes themselves.

93/100 – Compelling and highly perfumed aromas of black olives, violets, liquorice, and supple blackberry fruits nuanced by charcuterie notes lead with lifted mineral overtones. Offering classic Syrah notes leading with a serious meatiness that builds in intensity, matched by sweet cassis, brandied cherries, olive tapenade, and smoky minerals. Firm, fine-grained tannins underscore a long finish of black pepper, cardamom, earth, and crushed dried violets. Co-owners and co-winemakers Kyle Jeffrey and Brad Jonas source grapes from Valenti Vineyard, a south-facing site at elevations of 296 to 487 metres in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. – Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter

17+/20 – Mid garnet. Fully ripe grapes and a bit sweeter than many a Syrah. I’m getting a bit more rubber than black pepper. Very savoury and even a little saline. Lovely quality of tannin – like the softest leather. In a California context this is a very fine Syrah. In a global context, perhaps a little bit less so with a bit more obvious ripeness, but overall it’s pretty delicate. And admirably long. – Jancis Robinson MW