2019 Syrah Clary Ranch

It's always a pleasure to taste through the Arnot-Roberts lineup, as there is so much variety. Duncan Arnot describes 2019 as a year with rain in the spring, but good heat starting in July and spikes in both August and September. There was a bit less fog than usual in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so the growing season got off to an early start. The 2019 whites are on point and also fabulous examples of how compelling the best whites are in this vintage. Perhaps the slow accumulation of sugars explains why the whites are so expressive. The Cabernets are also terrific. Whereas many 2018s are quite open, these brooding, old-school Cabernets are built for the cellar. The Pinots, which are usually such charmers, are less consistent in 2019, especially the Legan, which is quite awkward today. The Heaven and Earth Pinot, from a site owned by Red Car, is new, while the Peter Martin Ray and Coastlands bottlings are out of the lineup. Readers will have to be patient with the Clary Ranch and Que Syrah, both of which were picked a bit earlier than would have otherwise been optimal. Duncan Arnot and Nathan Roberts were forced to choose between picking a bit early or risking the entire crop as the Kincade Fire approached. The former turned out to be the wise decision, as the fire ultimately did not relent and waiting would have resulted in a total loss. To complicate matters further, the winery lost power for four days as those wines were fermenting. In the end, though, the vineyard designate Syrahs have good depth and plenty of character, even though they will be bruisers for a number of years.