Allocations for 98 to 100-Point Central Coast Champions

2021 Herman Story "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Syrah ($74.95)

98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "I always love Russell's take on this vineyard and the 2021 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is up with the best I've tasted from him. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as a gorgeous perfume of ripe red and blackberries, spring flowers, graphite, black pepper, and hints of game, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, spicy, incredibly complex style, polished tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. This ripe, blockbuster-styled Syrah stays flawlessly balanced, has polished tannins, and no hard edges. I love it today, yet it will keep for a solid decade." (08/2024)

2021 Denner "Dirt Worshipper" Paso Robles Syrah ($79.95)

98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2021 Dirt Worshipper is textbook Syrah magic with is peppery, gamey dark fruits, iron, tapenade, sandalwood, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier that was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 25% new French and Hungarian oak, it will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years, and Id be happy to put this up with the best Syrahs out there." (08/2024)

96 points Vinous: "The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul. (EG) " (06/2024)

2021 L'Aventure "Estate Cuvée" Paso Robles Red Blend ($129.99)

100 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that's so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum." (08/2023)

98 points Wine Advocate: "The 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume. This elegant, expressive blend will be long lived in the cellar. (EB) " (12/2023)

2021 Andremily "No. 10" Santa Barbara County Syrah ($149.95)

100 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2021 No 10 checks in as 93% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 2% Viognier that was raised in 65% new French oak for 22 months. It shows that classic 2021 focus and purity, with darker berry and cassis-like fruits intermixed with ground pepper, sandalwood, violets, and smoky, meaty nuances. With full-bodied richness, it's incredibly concentrated and has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This absolutely heavenly red from the genius of Jim Binns tops out my scale. It should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and have over two decades of ultimate longevity."

97 points Wine Advocate: "The 2021 No. 10 is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier. Grapes come from several vineyards, including Andremily's new Slide Hill estate in Edna Valley, White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Kimsey and Alta Mesa Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. It was vinified with 50% whole clusters and matured for around 22 months in 65% new French barriques. Bottled August 12 and tasted October 25, it boasts a supermassive black hole of dark, perfumed fruit at the core. With time in the glass, it reveals pure accents of mint chocolate, vanilla bean, olives, lilac, tar and botanical nuances. The palate is incredibly concentrated, its graphite-laced fruit waiting to explode. All that depth of fruit is balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity and velvety tannins, and it has a highly latent finish. (EB) 97+ " (11/2023)