Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Sanguis “Bossman” Syrah 2021
Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Bossman is Sanguis’s bold and expressive Syrah, led by Matthias Pippig’s vision of terroir-focused winemaking. The 2021 blend composition is 83% Syrah, underpinned by 10% Grenache and 7% Viognier—a structure that balances Syrah’s powerful core with aromatic lift and texture. 

Aromas & Flavors
Expect dark, plush layers of blackberry, plum, and pepper, brushed with floral tones from the Viognier and savory nuances from the Grenache. The overall experience is rich, complex, and deeply aromatic.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet elegantly structured. Fine-grained tannins and precise acidity make it both powerful and graceful, with a refined and resonant finish.

Winemaking Notes
Crafted with a portion of whole-cluster Syrah from John Sebastiano, co-fermented with its supporting varieties. The wine is vinified on native yeasts and aged extensively in seasoned and new French oak, allowing for depth and integration.   

Food Pairing
A powerful match for hearty fare like grilled lamb, wild mushroom ragout, or grilled vegetables with bold sauces. Its composed intensity pairs beautifully with impactful flavors.

Verdict
Sanguis “Bossman” Syrah 2021 is a commanding yet nuanced red—richly concentrated and impeccably balanced. It’s a stellar showcase of Syrah’s potential when guided by both artistry and terroir. Cheers! — 2 months ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.3

Day 2 and this is firing on all cylinders. Gorgeous wine. Silly value. @John Lockwood is lucky this isn’t the 1600s or he would be accused of witchcraft. — 7 years ago

Ian Staub

9.6

An astoundingly beautiful and elegant California Cab from cool climate Pinot territory. Aroma is high-toned with notes of fresh sweet flowers, crunchy red and black fruit, and minerals. Pyrazine is present from 25% whole clusters, but it contributes white fruit and floral notes rather than strong vegetal character. Only 10% new oak provides some structure, depth, and softens the tannins without obscuring the beautiful fruit quality and this wine’s sense of place. Crystalline acidity is vibrant from the first sip through the long finish. Tasted with winemaker John Lockwood. — 8 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 1976 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from Clos du Val is the most interesting of all the wines. The estate was founded by John and Henrietta Goelet in the early Seventies when the couple challenged recently graduated winemaker Bernard Portet to create a Bordeaux-inspired estate in Napa. Clos du Val attained global recognition when its inaugural 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the wines poured blind by Steven Spurrier at the epochal The Judgement of Paris, so this bottle of 1976 was one of their earliest bottlings that, incidentally, came directly from Clos de Val’s apparently meager reserves. It is very elegant and perfumed on the nose, typical old school, classic Napa Cabernet in all its unfettered glory, beautifully defined with wilted rose petals and a light fish scale element. Supple, very pliant tannins define the palate. There remains ample freshness and poise, a fine silver thread of acidity and a clove-tinged, rounded, exquisitely balanced finish that would surpass practically every other Bordeaux from this vintage. Outstanding. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2024)
— 2 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.3

@John Lockwood dude the ‘16 is absolutely killer right now. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Clos Du Val, French for "small vineyard estate of a small valley," was founded in 1972 in the now legendary Stags Leap District by Franco-American entrepreneur John Goelet. Aromas berry fruits and pepper notes. Flavors of ripe complex red and black berry fruits, vanilla and cacao. Fully integrated tannins, well balanced, lingering ending with espresso tones. Great value. — 8 years ago

Kirk F

9.3

Delicious. First time with this and pinot from this vineyard. — 5 years ago

William Hughes

9.4

Superb! Earthy and savory with some real stuffing to age well for another 10-12 years. John Lockwood crafted this sensation with hillside grapes growing 380 meters above the Pacific. Cool climate Syrah I want to drink a whole lot more often. — 7 years ago

Kim Schott Jones Watt

9.8

Outstanding.
Suggested by John at Bird and Jim In Estes Park CO — 7 years ago

William Hughes

9.3

Consistent with other notes I read. Strawberry, rhubarb, cranberry and a dash of white pepper. Some tannins from whole clusters and wonderful acidity! I usually turn to John Lockwood for Syrah, but he sells me on any wine he produces. Real finesse! — 8 years ago