Ledge, Bien Nacido Vineyard 'Block 11' Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2020

Overview of the Wine
Mark Adams, a West side Paso Robles native, grew up on the very ranch he now farms, and lives in his childhood home. Mom and Dad are in the house just across the meadow. Adams' parents bought the land - now called Adams Ranch Vineyards - in the mid-'70s, to raise cattle and grow the occasional grain crop. It wasn't until 2005 that the first grapes were planted.

Heading back to Paso might always have been in the back of Adams' mind, but he started out on a very different path. An Americana musician, he was living in Los Angeles and working as a sound effects editor at Sony when the opportunity arose to farm his parents' land. To get some experience, he turned to childhood pal Justin Smith, a well-respected winemaker and vineyard consultant, who gave him a job working at Saxum and its James Berry Vineyard just a mile from his land.

In 2005, Adams, his wife, Ciera, and a bunch of college friends collected cuttings and planted them on their own roots on his parents' land - mostly sand and clay. The grapes were primarily Syrah, with just a touch of Grenache and Mourvedre.

"We had no certified rootstock; we didn't have a budget, crews or infrastructure," he recalls. "It was a wild, ill-advised ride for sure."

Fortunately, they lucked out with a winter deluge, and his 5 acres of planted land began to take off. Ultimately, Adams says he'd like to have about 35 acres in vine. Now in his third year of production, Adams recently released 150 cases of the 2011 Adams Ranch Vineyard Syrah. Two hundred cases of the 2012 will be bottled this year, and the 2013 vintage should double that.

Grape / Blend
Syrah

Origin
Santa Maria, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This wine utilizes the Estrella Clone from Block 11B, Bien Nacido Vineyards in the

Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County AVA. It is 100% destemmed and was wild fermented between 10/13/20 and 11/6/20, then aged19 months 80% new French oak.

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is pure gold and one hell of an impressive Syrah that readers should snatch up. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blue fruits, cassis, ground pepper, violets, and smoked game, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, opulent mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. Coming from 100% destemmed Syrah that spent 19 months in 80% new French oak, it's going to blow you away any time over the coming decade, if not longer.

 Product size: 750ml