2021 Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

The Franscioni family traces their lineage back to the early 1900s, making them one of the historic families in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Gary Franscioni and his wife, Rosella, developed many of the key sites in the appellation, some of them with long-time friend Gary Pisoni. Today, the younger generation is involved, guaranteeing a bright future. The Franscionis draw on several sites for their ROAR wines. Two thousand twenty-one is a vintage that offers both quality and volume here, a welcome change from 2020. Yields were 3.5 tons per acre, on the generous side. The wines saw a bit longer time on the skins than usual. Mostly, though, I am struck by the degree to which these wines capture the essence of place.