This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous

Welcome to this week's Vinous Top Ten! Each week we compile a list of wines from the Vinous database that you need to add to your wine wish list. With all the various regions, producers, and grapes, no week will be the same! All of the wines listed in this feature are available for purchase on Banquet . This week's must-try wines are from Antonio Galloni’s article, Santa Barbara: On the Road…Finally! . Enjoy an excerpt from this article and notes for this week's top ten below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Santa Barbara continues its streak of superb vintages with the 2019s. Chardonnay and red Rhône varieties are particularly strong, while the Pinots are just a bit less consistent. There’s plenty more to explore in this report, including Bordeaux blends and the first of the 2020s. As I have written before, the vinous landscape in Santa Barbara has so much to offer.” --Antonio Galloni, Santa Barbara: On the Road…Finally!, October 2021 1. 2018 Andremily No. 7 2. 2019 A Tribute to Grace Grenache Santa Barbara County 3. 2018 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle 4. 2019 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard 5. 2019 Chanin Wine Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard 6. 2019 Clementine Carter Grenache Sta. Rita Hills 7. 2018 Fess Parker Big Easy 8. 2020 Lady of the Sunshine Chardonnay Chene Vineyard 9. 2019 Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard 10. 2019 Timbre Winery Pinot Noir Opening Act

Timbre Winery

Opening Act Pinot Noir 2019

Delectable Wine
9.2

The 2019 Pinot Noir Opening Act emerges from Arroyo Seco, near the Santa Lucia Highlands. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried cherry and incense lend aromatic nuance. The 2019 offers an attractive combination of fruitiness and savory/earthy complexity. Best of all the 2019 is a superb value. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Clementine Carter

Sta. Rita Hills Grenache 2019

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2019 Grenache (Sta. Rita Hills) is dark and potent. Black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol and leather give this appellation-level Grenache tons of power. There is a touch of reduction, but the purity of the fruit is so compelling. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Beckmen Vineyards

Purisima Mountain Vineyard Syrah 2019

Delectable Wine
9.4

The 2019 Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard is a wild, exotic wine. Blueberry jam, chocolate, spice, leather and licorice fill out the layers effortlessly. This unctuous, heady Syrah shows just how distinctive Ballard Canyon is. A year or two in bottle should help soften some of the harder edges. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Andremily

No. 7 Syrah 2018

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 2018 Andremily No. 7 is one of the most complete wines in this range. A cooler, longer growing season compared to 2018 yielded a gorgeous, layered wine with tremendous depth and strong savory accents. Black pepper, lavender, cloves, spice and menthol lend energy and nuance to this heady Syrah-based red. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Tensley

Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah 2019

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 2019 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard is one of my favorite wines in this range. Bright and punchy, the Colson Canyon is such a distinctive wine. Red/purplish berry fruit, wild flowers, spice, leather and rose petal open in the glass. More than anything else, I admire the wine's drive. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Fess Parker

The Big Easy Santa Barbara County Syrah Blend 2018

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2018 Big Easy is a dense, plush opulent wine. The Big Easy fills the palate with masses of dark fruit, suggesting an ample, full-bodied character wine. Dark cherry, chocolate, licorice, new oak, leather and spice all build as the 2018 shows off its exuberant personality. A touch of new oak adds mid-palate richness and sweetness. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

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A Tribute to Grace Wines

Santa Barbara County Grenache 2019

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2019 Grenache (Santa Barbara County) is a blend from various sites in the appellation. Bright and effusive, the Santa Barbara Grenache is particularly expressive. All the elements are so complementary. Blood orange, mint, spice and star anise lend gorgeous nuance. Bright acids and a spine of tannin make this far more than an entry-level offering. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Lady of the Sunshine

Chene Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2020 Chardonnay Chene Vineyard is a bright, finely sculpted wine. A brief period of skin contact lends richness that is offset by the brightness of the blocked malo style. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and almond are some of the notes that grace this beautifully textured, nuanced Chardonnay. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Chanin

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

Delectable Wine
9.4

The 2019 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict emerges from Block T15, one of the original parcels planted in 1971. It is a bright, focused jewel of a wine. Crushed rocks, mint, white pepper and lemon peel all race out of the glass. The 2019 is a bundle of energy. Give it a few years to come together. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

Au Bon Climat

"Isabelle" California Pinot Noir 2018

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2018 Pinot Noir Isabelle is a powerful, deep wine with equally big tannins that need time to soften. There's terrific density here just waiting to emerge. Copious red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco and dried herbs occasionally come forward. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 years ago

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Vintage correct?