
Dieter Cronje
Presqu'ile
Estate Vineyard Syrah 2017
Value
Vibe
Characteristics
Acidity
Body
Tannins
Production Notes
A great Syrah should outsmart you, exposing your brain’s limitations for comprehending complex savoriness. It’s these flavors, ranging from green olive to bacon fat to wild rosemary, that makes the experience of pairing Syrah with food so mind-bending and satisfying, like solving two Rubik's cubes simultaneously. The uniquely sandy soils of Presqu’ile’s estate vineyard serve to focus and amplify these flavors, creating a wine that feels not so much made as born. All the fruit for this limited production Syrah comes from a 6.5-acre block in the Presqu’ile Vineyard, and is aged for 18 months in neutral french oak barrels.
When it comes to exploring the boundaries of coastal Pinot Noir, Presqu’ile’s Dieter Cronje is uniquely primed for the task. For the young South African winemaker, the grape has been a career-long obsession — from the dramatically coastal Stellenboch, where he got his start, to his current post in the Santa Maria Valley — one of the world’s top spots for marine-influenced Pinot. At Presqu’ile, Dieter is backed by 100 years of agricultural history: the Murphy’s, who founded the winery in 2007, are fourth-generation farmers. With longevity comes perspective — and Presqu’ile stands out for its commitment to stewardship and conservation. Since 2010, the winery, along with its 73-acre estate vineyard, has been SIP Certified — one of the most rigorous certifications a U.S. winery can achieve. SIP imposes strict, science-backed standards based on expert input and independent verification in order to address the three P’s of sustainability – people, planet, and prosperity.

Presqu'ile
Santa Barbara, CA