“Zac Wasserman is without question one of the most talented young winemakers in Santa Barbara.” – Antonio Galloni

APPY FRIDAY!

Question: Do you like your reds big, rich, and meaty? But also spicy, plush, balanced, and super complex? The kind of wine that just screams for a great steak and better company?

So do we! AND judging from the 97 Point, Cellar Selection rave, SO DO THE CRITICS!

And the best part? Slashing the price 40%, we got a record LOW PRICE – UNDER $40!

Seriously, we are stoked for this one.

Don’t let the word ‘Syrah’ dissuade you. Trust your Agents of Wine on this one! Tasted blind this is a dead-ringer for Northern Rhône. Think Guigal or Rostaing. It pours an inky purple, filling the air with aromas of blackberry, cracked pepper, bacon, leather, tobacco, and so much more. It tannins are velvety but somehow grippy at the same time, the whole wine showing not just balance, but true tension that will keep you on the edge of you seat!

Agent Noir’s tasting notes put succinctly what the whole team was thinking, “As good as it gets, really. Near impossible to spit.”

He didn’t spit, for the record. None of us did.

If you don’t know Frequency, it’s time you get to know them. The label was started by winemaker Zac Wasseman to focus on Rhône varieties (and Graciano, which is technically Spanish – but we’re getting off topic…).

As Jeb Dunnuck explains, *“Zac Wasserman worked his way up under Joey Tensley before launching Frequency around 2010-2011 with one barrel of Syrah, and the label remains a family operation with a tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara.”

We’re need to stop Jeb right there to highlight something. Zac’s mentor, Joey Tensely is a SYRAH GOD. His bottlings have more 97-to-100 Point scores than we can count. Dunnuck himself calls Tensley, “one of the key Syrah producers in Santa Barbara County.” It was under his guidance that Wasserman started Frequency, with one barrel of Syrah, years ago.

And one sip of this wine will show you – the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

Back to Frequency, Dunnuck continues his praise, “The focus is on single-vineyard Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo Coast fruit, raised mostly in neutral oak. The style here is distinctly ripe and textured, yet the wines remain beautifully balanced and shine for their incredible charm and accessibility.”

Or, as Wine Advocate sums it up, “Across the board, the wines are refined and pure, with careful attention paid to their textural precision.”

The Presqu’ile Vineyard (pronounced press-KEEL) is not as famous as some of the bigger names in Santa Barbara, but it’s cool climate and immaculate farming impart balance to pristine fruit with a real sense of terroir. As Vinous spells out, “Syrah really does seem to express all the signatures of this site so well.”

Presqu’ile’s other claim to fame is their annual Tri-Tip Cookoff. And we can think of nothing better to go with this wine – it begs for anything off the grill, be it tri-tip, lamb, vegetables. It may be a little late in the season for grilling, but it’s worth braving the cold!

But this puppy is also built to age, with the structure and complexity to evolve over the next ten to fifteen years. At 40% OFF today? Load up the cellar! Future you will thank you!

Totally serious – We are already checking out. You should too!

97 Points, Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast “This is a lively and lovely cool-climate expression of Syrah, beginning with a thrilling array of cracker peppercorn, smashed elderberry and intriguing rosemary aromas that work in savory harmony. The palate is bright and zesty yet dark and herby, pairing black raspberry paste with raw lamb and clipped thyme flavors. Drink now-2040.”