2017 Gregory Brewer Wines, Syrah, Ex Post Facto, Santa Barbara County -photo grapelive

2017 Gregory Brewer Wines, Syrah, Ex Post Facto, Santa Barbara County.
A much more serve version of Santa Barbara County Syrah than you’d expect from a wine with close to 15% natural alcohol this 2017 vintage details a more austere style than the last year with plenty of wild herbs, loam, bramble/briar spiciness and less, at this stage, forward fruit with more subdued layers of blackberry, blueberry, tangy currant and cranberry on the powerful palate. This wine moves to its own agenda and with a snails pace adding crushed pepper, olive and anisette notes before revealing pretty violets, kirsch and a vinous mouth feel. I will put a few bottles away for another year or two and revisit, as I felt it is more of tease at this point, hinting at more pleasure and poise to come. Best to decant this and or serve with hardy cuisine, including grilled meats, hard cheeses and or lamb dishes.

The new vintage of Ex Post Facto Syrah from Greg Brewer, one of California’s great winemaking talents and original partner in the famed Brewer-Clifton label as well as doing his Chardonnay specialist label Diatom, is a rich and earthy version that shows classic Northern Rhone character and spiciness. This 2017 is expressive and whole cluster flamboyant, but still quite tight in presentation, this stuff needs age and I can see why Brewer is waiting until late fall for its official release, that said you can already see the huge potential here and I was very impressed with the lift and balance in what is a very serious and ripe vintage. For those that don’t remember Brewer’s fabulous efforts with Syrah at Melville, especially the Donna’s, you’ll want to get on the list for these wines, which he sells through Diatom & Brewer-Clifton, this stuff compares well with the likes of Pax, Drew, Andrew Murray and Sashi Moorman’s Piedrassasi label as well as Stolpman in Ballard Canyon, and is priced exceptionally well considering it’s limited availability.
($32 Est.) 90-92 Points, grapelive

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