Piedrasassi
Santa Barbara // California // USA
Organic
“Sashi Moorman’s Piedrasassi label focuses on Syrah. The wines are deep, savoury and quite distinctive. In recent years, the use of whole clusters has come down, but that has not materially changed the wines personalities, or their tremendous appeal.”
ANTONIO GALLONI
“One of California’s brightest talents…”
STEPHEN BROOK, DECANTER MAGAZINE
“Piedrasassi cultivates grapes and grain in the Central Coast of California. Through our bread and wine, we endeavour to tell the stories of this unique region and its people. In the vineyards and fields, our family’s winery and bakery, we approach our work with a reverence for place and a responsible hand - we seek to celebrate the innate beauty of each harvest.” Sashi Moorman
Piedrasassi primarily cultivates and vinifies Syrah, a variety with which winemaker Sashi Moorman has worked for over two decades. Today, the viticultural heritage of the Northern Rhone and the pioneering ethos of the Central Coast equally inform his engagement with Syrah.
In the vineyard, Sashi picks a bit earlier than local Santa Barbara County colleagues to keep alcohol levels in balance with flavour and to preserve the natural acidity of the fruit. He also uses some whole-cluster inclusion, only indigenous yeast fermentation, and no sulphur added at fermentation, remaining as natural as possible without compromising the integrity, flavour, and stability of the wine.
​
In the Piedrasassi bakery, Melissa Sorongon freshly mills American heritage grains for naturally-leavened loaves that she bakes in a hand-built wood-fired oven. Melissa and their daughter, Juliet, bring each week’s bread and a selection of Piedrasassi wines to Santa Barbara’s Saturday farmers’ market.
Featured Wines
Bien Nacido Syrah
2020
“Elegant and floral, the medium ruby-purple coloured 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard has alluring, layered scents of blackcurrant, blueberry, menthol, bitter chocolate and violet, gaining nuance with each return to the glass. Full-bodied yet light on its feet, it has a deep core of crunchy black fruit, abundant, powdery tannins, fireworks of fresh acidity and a very long finish replete with floral and herbal tones. This was vinified using around 30% whole clusters and comes from the Z and X blocks of Bien Nacido Vineyard.”
96 points, Wine Advocate
Rim Rock Syrah
2020
“The 2020 Syrah Rim Rock Vineyard was vinified using about one-third whole clusters. It has a medium ruby-purple colour and broody aromas of blackcurrants, grilled meats, coffee beans, bitter chocolate and mint. The full-bodied palate offers concentrated, powerful fruit, loads of powdery tannins and sparks of juicy acidity that highlight floral perfume on the long finish.”
96 points, Wine Advocate
Sebastiano Syrah
2017
“Dense aromas of boysenberry, cherry-wood smoke, peppercorn and pine needle converge on the dynamic nose of this blend of two vineyards. Sticky tannins frame a wildly flavoured sip that gathers yakitori lamb, rosemary flowers, blackberry and eucalyptus tea into one unique package.”
94 points, Wine Enthusiast