BALLARD CANYON AVA  |  SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

A densely planted vineyard in the Ballard Canyon AVA, Kimsey gives us a complex wine with concentrated fruit and grippy phenolics. Western facing slopes expose the vines to cool breezes off the Pacific, allowing for acid retention and slow flavor development. Aromatics show dark cherry and blood orange, with fig jam, plum and mocha on the palate. Finishes with baking spice and fine-grained tannins. Drink early for a youthfully rustic wine or hold up to a decade past the vintage. 

Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck  93+ points ~ The 2020 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard, which is from a site near the base of Ballard Canyon, reveals a vivid purple hue as well as a beautiful, unevolved bouquet of blue fruits, cracked pepper, and violets. It's rich and medium to full-bodied, with beautiful concentration and integrated tannins. Give bottles a year or three and it's going to drink fabulously well over the following decade. Maturity 2025-2036. — Jeb Dunnuck

Vinous  96 points ~ The 2020 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is a fabulous example of what this site is capable of. Blue/purplish fruit, lavendar, spice, licorice, and dried herbs abound. There's terrific energy here, something that is not always true of Kimsey Syrahs. Earthy Ballard Canyon undertones linger. A reduction in new oak here also works quite well. This is superb stuff. Drinking window 2023-2031. — Antonio Galloni

2019 Syrah, Kimsey Vineyard

Wine Enthusiast  93 points ~ Elderberry, crumpled violets and light asphalt aromas show on the nose of this bottling. There's a likable toast component to the palate, where flavors of lavender, black pepper and more elderberry align. — Matt Kettmann

Jeb Dunnuck  93+ points ~ All destemmed and aged in 29% new French oak, the 2019 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard offers more meaty blue fruits, leather, and ground pepper, with some Hermitage-like graphite and scorched earth nuances. It's ripe, medium-bodied, and concentrated, with ripe tannins and good acidity. It needs a few years, but it’s a beautiful wine. Maturity after 2024. — Jeb Dunnuck

2018 Syrah, Kimsey Vineyard

Jeb Dunnuck  92 points ~ From a terrific site at the base of Ballard Canyon, the 2018 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard sports a dense purple hue as well as young, unevolved notes of bright black and blue fruits, ground pepper, violets, and hints of sappy green herbs. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and structured. It needs another 2-3 years of bottle age to come together, but it’s unquestionably an outstanding bottle of Syrah. Maturity after 2023. — Jeb Dunnuck

Wine Enthusiast  93 points Cellar Selection ~ There's an intense umami-laden nose to this bottling, offering dried meat, light pepper, iodine and dark-blackberry aromas. The palate is very firm in structure, setting up blackberry jam, acai and cracked pepper flavors to last for a long time. Drink 2022–2038. — Matt Kettman

Vinous  93 points ~ The 2018 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is a dense, potent wine. Inky blue/black fruit, licorice, spice, new leather, espresso infuse the palate with quite a bit of textural depth. This rich, unctuous Syrah has a lot to offer. Drinking window 2023-2033. — Antonio Galloni