Press Gang - 'Robert Rae Ranch' - Syrah - Sta. Rita Hills, CA - 2023

@pressgang

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Robert Rae Ranch is committed to sustainability and are 100% certified Organic. Native ferment using 100% whole cluster in a stainless open top fermenter. Pump overs and punch downs once a day for two weeks. pressed to neutral French oak for 10 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Notes on the Producer

Since 2010, we have been creating small batches of exciting wines from interesting Santa Barbara County vineyards. Press Gang fruit is hand-picked, hand-sorted and fermented with native yeast. We love the "tried and true" winemaking methods, but also consider ourselves to be very progressive in the cellar. Kyle learned winemaking from the ground up, starting with harvest at a local winery. He spent a vintage abroad in Western Australia and fell in love with the craft. Upon returning home, he jumped right back into another harvest until he worked his way up to Assistant Winemaker. He knew, early on, that he wanted to create something different, against the grain so to speak, to represent his winemaking style. Cheers, Kyle and Savanna Knapp

Grapes & Style

Syrah

Syrah is a northern Rhône grape with a serious range, capable of making dark, structured, savory reds without needing the sheer weight of Cabernet. Its home is places like Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas, and Saint-Joseph, but it has traveled widely, especially to Australia, California, South Africa, and parts of the Mediterranean.

In the vineyard, Syrah tends to like warmth, but not excessive heat. In cooler sites it can be peppery, floral, and lifted; in warmer places it becomes darker, richer, and more generous. It has relatively small berries and can produce wines with deep color, good tannin, and a strong savory profile.

In the glass, Syrah often shows black fruit, violet, black pepper, olive, smoke, meat, and spice. The best examples have density without feeling clumsy — dark-fruited and structured, but still aromatic and full of detail. We tend to love Syrah when it keeps that savory edge and doesn’t lose its freshness.