2011 Kalyra, Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley.
Walking down State Street in Santa Barbara, I came across a couple of wineries down near the beach and Stearn’s Wharf, and I decided I couldn’t not check them out, and one managed to lure me in with a Syrah, which according to the leaflet was sourced from White Hawk Vineyard, one of the top sites for Syrah, as used by Sine Qua Non, Ojai and others to good, if not great effect, and listed at only $24 bucks, I had to give it a try. Kalyra is an Aussie surf themed winery making small lot wines sold directly through the tasting room and their wine club, lots of Surfboards with Kalyra logos and an endless summer feel about the place, but I was happy I checked it out, because the Syrah was a delightful and interesting wine. From the cool 2011 vintage, this earthy and spicy Syrah hits all the right notes if you like a bit more restraint, which I tend to do these days with Syrah, a touch of Northern Rhone class with violets, fresh turned earth, bacon and blueberry notes along with cracked pepper, boysenberry, kirsch and minty anise. This under 14% Syrah is very tasty and a good surprise find on a lazy afternoon stroll.
($24 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive
