2017 Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Santa Barbara is sold out.

Sign up to receive notifications when wines from this producer become available

One of the Rhône Greats of the West Coast

Wine Bottle
  • 95 pts Wine Spectator
    95 pts WS
  • 92 - 95 pts Jeb Dunnuck
    92 - 95 pts Jeb Dunnuck
  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

2017 Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Santa Barbara 750 ml

Sold Out

Sign up to receive notifications when wines from this producer become available.
  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

A Tensley Redux of a Top Scoring Santa Barbara Red

A Tensley Redux of a Top Scoring Santa Barbara Red

At $40 per bottle, Tensley’s Colson Canyon Syrah is one of the best American Syrahs on the market.

Two decades ago, long before he had pulled in more 94- to 99-point scores from Robert Parker than any other American Syrah-maker, Joey Tensley was a Bakersfield farm boy who took a daring plunge into winemaking. In 1997, the year before he launched his label, Joey first laid eyes on the Colson Canyon vineyard, which was freshly planted to grapevines. Joey became the founder’s first client, and it didn’t take him long to recognize Colson Canyon for the superb site that it is. In 2001, Joey released his first vineyard-designate Colson Canyon Syrah.

Colson Canyon is 115 acres, but only sixteen produce grapes—the elevation and rugged terrain make the rest all but untamable, and Joey believes that only three more acres have the potential to be planted. But forbidding sites can also be the most fortunate, and Colson Canyon proves it year-in and year-out.

The 2017 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah is the newest vintage from Tensley, who’s now considered a West Coast Rhône maestro. This 95-point release is a deep, opaque ruby, showing blackberry preserves, smoked game, dark chocolate, and dried herbs. For lovers of savory reds like Rioja and Saint-Joseph, this is a must-have.

Critic Jeb Dunnuck said he “loved the 2017 Syrah Colson Canyon,” praising its “full bodied richness, impressive purity of fruit,” and “savory meatiness.” Last year’s Colson Canyon crushed it with Dunnuck, landing as one of his top three California Syrahs, and the ‘17 is even better— Dunnuck hasn’t settled on a score yet, but he sees the ‘17 landing as high as 95-points. Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate have chimed in with A+ scores too.

The 2017 is classic Joey Tensley: deep and dense, with blackberry preserves, smoked game, violets, and supple tannins on the finish. This is a Wine Access favorite. If the many Tensley loyalists who receive this offer don’t snap it all up, there might be some of this over-performer left to bring some potential converts into the fold. No matter which one you happen to be, don’t delay