Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Tensley – Syrah – 2023
Colson Canyon Vineyard – Santa Barbara County – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Syrah from the high-elevation Colson Canyon Vineyard, a benchmark site that consistently delivers powerful yet balanced fruit. This vintage shows tension between ripeness, structure, and freshness.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cracked pepper, violet, licorice, and a subtle smoky undertone. Dark, spicy, and focused.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with sleek acidity and fine, integrated tannins. Concentrated but not heavy, with a long, peppery finish that lingers.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb, beef skewers, duck confit, pepper-crusted steak, or roasted mushrooms.

Verdict
A balanced, expressive Syrah with depth, spice, and length – a great example of why Santa Barbara continues to challenge the top Rhône-style regions.

Did You Know?
Colson Canyon sits at nearly 1,500 ft elevation, producing small berries with thick skins, a key reason these Syrahs show intense color, aromatics, and age-worthy structure. — 3 days ago

Chris MacLean

9.0

Solid value but not a ton of energy — 2 months ago

with Sarah

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Ruby color with aromas of red fruit, herb spice and earthy notes. On the palate flavors of raspberry and cherry with dried herb notes, vanilla and toasty oak. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fresh fruit, spice and earthy tones. — 3 months ago

Tegan Marriott

8.9

Santa Barbara highlands radiance in a glass! Yo, I'll pretend I'm rolling through da Wine Ghetto! — 12 days ago

John Pavlovich

9.3

This vintage showed so well the other night. Went so well with Greek food. — 2 months ago

Stephane Bardin

9.0

Deep fruit flavors. Great color. Smooth — 3 months ago

Jonathan Wall

9.3

Very syrahy. Great with lamb biryani. — 19 days ago

Tholyer Sartoni

9.1

Yummy light pinot noir. Taste of dark, ripe berries — 11 days ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

Another good bottle of this $25 favorite — 2 months ago

with Sarah

Karl Heinmiller

9.3

Honey on the front end. almonds on the finish — 3 months ago