Best Syrah Producer on West Coast

Hello All! I am very new to WB and trying to get my bearings around here. Just a quick question:

In your opinion who is the foremost producer of Syrah on the west coast that is making wines like the Northern Rhone? I am getting into Syrah more and more and looking for something to buy year after year in order to really drill down on the varietal. I love the Northern Rhone stuff, but it is difficult to always find and/or afford.

Would love to find some producers that are secrets among all of you. Thanks in advance!

If you are wondering what I typically drink, I live in the foothills and so have quite a bit of ZIN. I am a wine club member at 4 wineries. Ridge Vineyards, Andrew Will, Newsome-Harlow, and Sobon/Shenandoah Vineyards. I would say that 1/2 the wine I drink is from those 4 producers. I love the Ridge Syrahs and want to get into more stuff like it. I buy crozes-hermitage, st. joseph, and cote-rotie when I find deals. Thanks again!

Oh my, that’s an easy one, at least for my Franco-inspired yak palate:

https://www.halconvineyards.com/

Excellent, higher elevation vineyard, and simple winemaking practices (i.e., not heavy-handed). I’m a Northern Rhone fanatic, and this is one of the few new world syrahs that I buy.

Welcome to the boards!

there’s a lot of really great options out there. Arnot Roberts does a great job, Pax and Wind Gap do really well. Piedrasassi makes some tasty ones. Enfield does well with just about every variety they make. Morgon and Chris at Bedrock do a great job, but I’m not sure I would say they’re exactly N Rhone style like some of the others are, but definitely leans that way when compared to shiraz

Agreed. Can’t think of a more rhone like California Syrah.

I also really enjoy Arcadian, Edmunds St Johns and the now-defunct Harrington Wines - McEvoy Ranch Syrah

Sean

Great call on Edmunds St Johns. I don’t know why I always forget about this producer, and then we I have one, always ask myself why I don’t buy more.

Well for all the Cali-fans, I’ll counter with WA and add K Vintners, WT Vintners, Gramercy, and Betz.

Honestly, I don’t think anyone on West Coast truly produces Syrah like Northern Rhone and they shouldn’t, they should produce true to place and philosophy wines, just like the great diversity in Northern Rhone.

I would add Sandlands, although it’s little harder to get.

I agree with that, I just interpret the question more to be what Cali syrah is a Northern Rhone fan most likely to appreciate.

Qupe is great value in CA too, as is Tablas Creek.

Christopher Tynan. I should say more, but – no, I shouldn’t. Forget I said anything.

There are several great producers as noted above. Also Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah.

Halcon was my immediate thought. Some Arcadians, too, but they’re freshly out-of-business.

I don’t know if it’s the “best,” but I really love Myriad’s Syrahs for very great reasonably priced cool climate Syrahs.

What?

One that never gets mentioned in the West Coast Syrah threads is Rhys. I love them. Are they still making them?

Lots of good ones mentioned in this thread already, but my favorite is Benevolent Neglect.

Piedrasassi
Holus Bolus (my vote for N Rhone)
Jaffurs
Melville
Samsara

Lots of good folks mentioned here, and I too have Holus Bolus (and The Joy Fantastic) high on my list of favorite CA syrahs. Peter and Amy are making extraordinary wines, and they’re ridiculously good values

New world Syrah is not my thing, but I’m surprised not to see Alban, Booker, or Saxum on anyone’s list. For that matter Christophe Baron is missing too.

This pretty much hits my favorites.
Best, Jim