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PIEDRASASSI

SANTA BARBARA - CALIFORNIA - USA

Organic

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“One of California’s brightest talents…” - Stephen Brook, Decanter Magazine

“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

 

“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

Sashi and his wife, Melissa, have been making great, Northern Rhone-style Syrah for a decade, until now selling it only in California, so we are now thrilled to bring their wines, in their very distinctive squat bottle, to Australia.

In the vineyard, the team at Piedrasassi pick a bit earlier than their colleagues to keep alcohol levels in balance with flavour and to preserve the natural acidity of the fruit. In the winery, Moorman employs some whole cluster inclusion, indigenous yeast fermentation, and no sulphur added at fermentation, remaining as natural as possible without compromising the integrity of the wine. Elevage is in 500L barrels to limit the wine’s exposure to oxygen and to minimise the influence of oak. They add the smallest amount of sulphur to the wine at bottling; allowing the aromatics to stay expressive while still protecting the wine during cellaring. The result, in all of these bottlings, is Syrah that shows off the different sites through aromas that bloom and evolve in the glass and tannins that grip and engage the palate.

2019 Piedrasassi Santa Rita Hills Syrah

94 points - Wine Enthusiast
“Extremely funky on the nose in all those brilliant cool-climate Syrah ways. Aromas of asphalt, raw meat, charred meat, raspberry and white pepper decorate the nose, leading into a tensely wound palate loaded with raw lamb, cracked pepper and beach tar…”

2019 Piedrasassi Bien Nacido Syrah
94 points - Antonio Galloni
“50% stem inclusion. Bold and punchy, the 2019 is super-finessed from the very first taste… Dried flowers, tobacco, mint and a distinctly red-toned fruit profile all grace this wonderfully transparent, alluring Syrah from Piedrasassi.”

2019 Piedrasassi Rim Rock Syrah
94 points - Antonio Galloni
“Compelling, as this wine so often is. Bright acids and a touch of whole cluster savouriness lend energy to this decidedly taught, nervy coastal Syrah. Blood orange, exotic spice, lavender, black pepper and grilled herbs build into the long, articulate finish.”

 

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