10 Aug Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Solminer 2021 Carbonic Syrah, Los Olivos District, Santa Ynez Valley

From the first sip of the Solminer 2021 Carbonic Syrah, I was hooked. I was visiting Solminer in Los Olivos last week and after taking a sip of this super crushable wine, I bought a bottle to bring home so that I could enjoy it with friends at the Hollywood Bowl this week. My friends were as hooked on this wine as I was and that is why the Solminer 2021 Carbonic Syrah, Los Olivos District, Santa Ynez Valley is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

When Anna and David deLaski first purchased their property in 2012, there were three acres of Syrah planted on it. David was not sure about making Syrah as he was not a fan of the big style Syrah wines he had tasted. The first time he made Syrah, he picked it early, creating a lighter style Syrah, which they bottled as Rubillite and continue to make each year. David also produces an estate Syrah sourced from the “Old Block” of their vineyard which is whole cluster and aged longer. And he uses Syrah in his rosé wine.

A carbonic Syrah is another expression of Syrah. For the carbonic Syrah, David sources the grapes from the Coquelicot Vineyard Ballard Canyon Ranch (60%), which is CCOF Certified Organic, and the Ballard Canyon Ranch (40%), which uses no synthetic pesticides or herbicides. The grapes ferment whole cluster and untouched in a sealed tank and then, after 7-12 days, are pressed into tanks and neutral barrels where they spend two months before bottling. Nothing else is added and nothing is manipulated.

The result is a light pale purple color wine with aromas of fresh strawberries and watermelon candy. Best served with a chill, it is a fresh, bright, super crushable wine! It is also a wine that easily pairs with food. The Solminer 2021 Carbonic Syrah ($32) was the perfect wine to enjoy at our outdoor picnic in 90 degree heat before a concert at the Hollywood Bowl!