2019 Andremily G2 Vineyard Syrah

Andremily Winery is a new venture by Jim Binn, a former cellar master at Sine Qua Non. Binn established his Santa Barbara area winery in 2011 and named it for his two children, Andrew and Emily. Binn leases specific acreage within the prestigious White Hawk and Larner Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, and had his first harvest in 2012. Only 250 cases of Syrah were made and it was available primarily through mailing list. Binn focuses on Rhone varietals and has earned a reputation for his winemaking skills, having honed his skills working for Manfred Krankl, the rock star-style proprietor/winemaker at SQN, starting in 1996.

Paso Robles AVA is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it is considered one of the West Coast’s most exciting winemaking regions. With its hot, sometimes searingly dry and sunny weather, it is especially good country for growing warm climate grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Because many Paso Robles wineries have been successful with blending these grapes into Rhone Valley-style wines, it is known as the Rhone zone of California. The AVA was created in 1983 and there are 32,000 vineyard acres. In late 2014 the AVA was divided into 11 smaller sub-appellations, so starting with 2015 vintages labeling will become more specific on Paso Robles wines, which will now also list sub-appellations. Located in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, the town and its surrounding area, was traditionally a farming and ranching region. But from a few dozen wineries in the early 1990s to more than 200 today, the area is quickly becoming known for wine and risk-taking winemakers.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.