A vineyard named 'good birth' befits a new adventure. Brightly fruited and subtly savory, syrah from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria alley is a proper combination of finesse and power. We fermented the wine in open-topped tanks, including roughly a third of the fruit in whole-cluster form. From early on, the beautiful duality of syrah was evident in the wine - a bright, red-fruited melody that soared over the supporting harmonies of savoriness. What began as a detailed and almost ethereal wine has broadened and deepened, gaining weight and richness in bottle. | Kinsman Eades