2018 Onesta Syrah, Golden Vineyard, Mendocino County
Silver ~ 2023 Los Angeles International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes
Golden Vineyard in Mendocino is ideal for growing Syrah, a variety that emphasizes the terroir. Our Onesta Syrah is filled with juicy plum and black cherry with a hint of lavender and sage. The earthy or meaty aromas release after some time in the glass, giving graphite and maple-smoked bacon flavors. The complexity of this wine comes to fruition on the palate with firm tannins and a velvety long finish.
Vineyard Notes
Mendocino is a beautiful growing region for wine grapes; warm days for ripening fruit and cool coastal fog rolls in at night from the rugged North Coast beaches, only 50 miles as the crow flies. Golden Vineyards is home to two ranches in Mendocino County located just east of Hopland, California. The Fairbairn Ranch Syrah vines are rooted in sandy loam soils, and planted in 1994. The farming technique is one step beyond Organic – Biodynamic. Biodynamic farming treats the ranch as a whole organism, with mixed agriculture to support a healthy ecosystem and a focus on soil health for vine longevity. Biodynamic farming allows the vines to produce wines with a natural balance and deep expression of the land.
Vinification
100% Syrah hand harvested in the early morning fog, processed with gentle fruit handling to preserve fruit flavors. Fermented in open-top bins with 10% whole cluster fruit imparting a delicate spice to the wine. After fermentation, the Syrah was aged in French oak barrels for 2 years before bottling.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Syrah
Appellation: Mendocino County
Alcohol: 14.8%
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2018 Onesta Syrah, Golden Vineyard, Mendocino County Case:
12x 2018 Onesta Syrah, Golden Vineyard, Mendocino County
Jillian found her passion for wine while studying neurobiology at UC Davis. Home brewing introduced her to the magic of fermentation, and after taking the “Introductory to Winemaking” class at UC Davis, she quickly switched her major to Viticulture and Enology. She graduated with her degree in 2001 and soon thereafter found herself as an intern at the famous Bonny Doon Winery.
Her desire to learn more about winemaking has taken her around the globe. To gain essential winemaking experience in a short time, Jillian traveled to the southern hemisphere to work an additional harvest each year. For three years she traveled south to learn how to work with different varieties and observe different winemaking styles. She did internships in McLaren Vale (South Australia), Margaret River (Western Australia), and Stellenbosch (South Africa).
Syrah quickly became her deepest passion and she returned to Bonny Doon as Associate Winemaker in 2005, focusing her talents on the Rhone varieties that the Dooner is known for. She played a major role in the transition to biodynamic winemaking at Bonny Doon. Now a truly seasoned winemaker, Jillian has started her own passion project, Onesta. Her artistic expression is manifested in her wines. Jillian’s wines speak the truth of each growing season and each vintage is a new adventure for her, riding the waves of Mother Nature. Her promise to herself and her customers is to deliver wines with personality and depth every year. Jillian’s wines are made with passion and love, just like she lives her life. Her hope is that every sip of Onesta will ignite the soul with passion and enthusiasm for living life to the fullest.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 Onesta Syrah - $65 = 27.08%
Reverse Wine Snob offered this up (3-pack $64.95) in January:
The 2018 Onesta Golden Vineyard Syrah opens with a lovely, vibrant, deep aroma that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Attractive dark fruit with excellent touches of spice, herbs, floral notes, licorice and more are just a prelude as it gets even better from here. Taking a sip reveals a super savory and delicious wine with great depth on the dark fruit. All the touches from the nose also appear in the mouth along with excellent balance and structure. This is a fantastic example of Syrah! It ends dry, super long, savory, vibrant, a bit grippy and dusty on the wonderful, uber-delicious finish. We could go on but there aren’t enough superlatives in the dictionary for this wine. It was just as outstanding on day two.
A bit more info on the vineyard, also from RWS:
22 acres of award-winning Syrah are rooted in the Redvine sandy loam soils of Mendocino County just east of Hopland. Initially planted in 1986 and farmed organically, then replanted with Syrah in 1994 and farmed under Biodynamic® practices ever since, nearly 20,000 vines rise gently along a northwesterly slope. Fairbairn Ranch vines produce an average of 70 tons per year of this popular Rhone varietal or just over 3 tons per acre.
also that silver medal mentioned above but no notes with that honor…
Labrat Notes 2018 Onesta Syrah*
The wine arrived a week before offer date, so I had plenty of time to think about a food pairing give the bottle a rest in my cellar. Natural cork has a small amount of deep purple (almost black) penetration. Thick layer of sediment in the neck of the bottle.
Wine is an opaque ‘black raspberry’ type purple, with a crimson edge that is heading toward brown. Somewhat muted nose with earth and baking spice. Heavy dose of alcohol on the palate along with rich earthy notes, like a dusty Petaluma tractor path. Over time I get a little bit of dried cherry or black raspberry on the nose, and a little more fruit shows up on the palate. Tremendous amount of earthy minerality, my tongue is buzzing. Supple tannin on the long, fruit-leather finish. Well balanced, integrated flavors. My wife noted a cherry cola aroma with similar flavors on the palate. A little bit of heat on the tongue. I don’t know if you would call it tannins, but it is a noticeable tongue tingle.
We paired it with a mélange of grilled meats and vegetables. The wine was transparent to the mushrooms and onion dominated the wine. Grilled red pepper really brought out the earth, but the star of the show was Steak w/ Roquefort butter. Brought out the fruit in the wine, cherry berry and more fruit leather. Noticed a really smooth chocolate note.
After a day on the counter, it is still dark and brooding, very little fruit. Tastes like cocoa without the bitterness; maybe cocoa butter? On day 3 there are black raspberries and plums and cherry licorice wrapped around a baking spice core. There is a little bit of vanilla on the finish, along with earth and spice. Tastes like it is finally giving out but it has lasted a long time. My wife said it still tastes like Cherry, but they taste ‘riper’, like dried cherries and raisins. More earthy dried fruit than ripe fruit.
This is a big, round, smooth, balanced Syrah, very different than any I can remember. The fruit is in the background, forming the backbone, not background, of a soulful groove. It’s the bassist that has played Big Bottom type lead bass but is content to propel the track by pushing the beat. Many thanks to the boys in brown for their delivery dynamism, to Alice and WCC for pulling my name out of the hat, and to Jillian Johnson DeLeon for making such a soulful wine. Salut!
*Full disclosure: I love Jillian’s wines, so there might be some bias in this review (though I didn’t actually know she made Syrah too.) I will note that her Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc and Rose are bursting and vivacious, while this one is a bit abstruse. Still full of life, just more introverted, understated, contemplative… what else can I say?
@KitMarlot Thank you for the praise of the Syrah. It is my masterpiece. And I agree with the music reference…the bass guitar that makes the song, like Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion.
@WineDocNapa Always appreciate having the winemaker drop by to answer questions. Saw your note about anthocyanin dropout, it was interesting to me that the sediment was only around the neck of the bottle and didn’t seem to get into my glass when I poured, nor hung around the bottom of the bottle in storage.
@KitMarlot Great observation. The wine is stored neck down, so the cork does not dry out and less oxygen through the cork into the wine.
As the anthocyanins drop out of solution, they settle to the neck and form a film on the side of the bottle.
I was super excited when I opened the box and noticed it was Onesta. I have great memories of their Cinsault, and would like more.
Rested in the cellar for ~4 days before opening.
Decanted for about an hour, no sediment in the bottle.
Murkey ruby color
Nose: candied and stewed fruits. Dark Cherries, Coco, some cedar and eucalyptus
Finish: medium length, mild acid, smooth, mild tannins, dusty.
Overall balanced, and a well made wine.
QPR @ $20 isn’t there for me, but could be a good deal for folks who like this style at the case price
@KingKoopa@rjquillin That’s part of the reason I worked so hard to take/post the picture of the neck of the bottle. I’ve never seen that before. There was no sediment on the cork or in the bottom of my bottle either. Looking at the picture @KingKoopa took of bottle, there might be sediment in the neck of that bottle too, can’t say for sure.
@KingKoopa these rat reviews are exactly why I keep coming back to CM!
Thanks for the honesty here, as I was waffling in my brain if I could handle the dollar hit here for a Syrah.
When I saw this offering of something I haven’t seen from Onesta before, it got me thinking that this would have been great to get into an assorted Onesta offering,
@KitMarlot@rjquillin good point! Sad I recycled the bottle already, but took a closer look at another photo a took, and there is a wide band around the middle of neck.
Hello all, thanks for brining up the sediment. Syrah is very rich in anthocyanin (color). Even though the wine is filtered before bottling, I still see color dropout during aging. This is common in high end Australian Shiraz too.
@worbx I would be willing to split a case. I live in Lenexa. Obviously, there’s no shipping to KS. I’m assuming you have the free (unlimited) shipping?
Sorry about the late response. If it doesn’t come off no worries.
@Savagesam Oh, shoot… I think somehow I read KY as KS. So, unfortunately I am also in KS, so I wouldn’t be able to order, either. Hmm… I don’t suppose anyone in MO is reading this at this late hour?
Hello Casemates community! I know you all love my Cinsault. The Syrah is a completely different personality. Cinsault is elegant, medium body, very fruit forward. My Syrah is a big bold red wine with nice tannin structure, earthy, spicy flavors, and mocha sweetness from the French oak. If you like bigger reds, this one is for you.
Drinking a great Syrah right now (Tensley Colson Canyon, 2016)…helping to convince me to buy a case of Onesta! I know, different animal…but same grape!
2018 Onesta Syrah, Golden Vineyard, Mendocino County
Silver ~ 2023 Los Angeles International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Vinification
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540.00/Case for 12x 2018 Onesta Syrah, Golden Vineyard, Mendocino County at Onesta Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 13 - Tuesday, May 14
2018 Onesta Syrah
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $174.99 $14.58/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
No brainer.
/giphy cordially-aberrant-privateer
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2018 Onesta Syrah - $65 = 27.08%
Reverse Wine Snob offered this up (3-pack $64.95) in January:
The 2018 Onesta Golden Vineyard Syrah opens with a lovely, vibrant, deep aroma that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Attractive dark fruit with excellent touches of spice, herbs, floral notes, licorice and more are just a prelude as it gets even better from here. Taking a sip reveals a super savory and delicious wine with great depth on the dark fruit. All the touches from the nose also appear in the mouth along with excellent balance and structure. This is a fantastic example of Syrah! It ends dry, super long, savory, vibrant, a bit grippy and dusty on the wonderful, uber-delicious finish. We could go on but there aren’t enough superlatives in the dictionary for this wine. It was just as outstanding on day two.
A bit more info on the vineyard, also from RWS:
22 acres of award-winning Syrah are rooted in the Redvine sandy loam soils of Mendocino County just east of Hopland. Initially planted in 1986 and farmed organically, then replanted with Syrah in 1994 and farmed under Biodynamic® practices ever since, nearly 20,000 vines rise gently along a northwesterly slope. Fairbairn Ranch vines produce an average of 70 tons per year of this popular Rhone varietal or just over 3 tons per acre.
also that silver medal mentioned above but no notes with that honor…
fwiw
@kaolis Thank you for the amazing write up. I am so happy you love this wine. Syrah is my absolute favorite variety to work with.
Labrat Notes 2018 Onesta Syrah*
The wine arrived a week before offer date, so I had plenty of time to think about a food pairing give the bottle a rest in my cellar. Natural cork has a small amount of deep purple (almost black) penetration. Thick layer of sediment in the neck of the bottle.
Wine is an opaque ‘black raspberry’ type purple, with a crimson edge that is heading toward brown. Somewhat muted nose with earth and baking spice. Heavy dose of alcohol on the palate along with rich earthy notes, like a dusty Petaluma tractor path. Over time I get a little bit of dried cherry or black raspberry on the nose, and a little more fruit shows up on the palate. Tremendous amount of earthy minerality, my tongue is buzzing. Supple tannin on the long, fruit-leather finish. Well balanced, integrated flavors. My wife noted a cherry cola aroma with similar flavors on the palate. A little bit of heat on the tongue. I don’t know if you would call it tannins, but it is a noticeable tongue tingle.
We paired it with a mélange of grilled meats and vegetables. The wine was transparent to the mushrooms and onion dominated the wine. Grilled red pepper really brought out the earth, but the star of the show was Steak w/ Roquefort butter. Brought out the fruit in the wine, cherry berry and more fruit leather. Noticed a really smooth chocolate note.
After a day on the counter, it is still dark and brooding, very little fruit. Tastes like cocoa without the bitterness; maybe cocoa butter? On day 3 there are black raspberries and plums and cherry licorice wrapped around a baking spice core. There is a little bit of vanilla on the finish, along with earth and spice. Tastes like it is finally giving out but it has lasted a long time. My wife said it still tastes like Cherry, but they taste ‘riper’, like dried cherries and raisins. More earthy dried fruit than ripe fruit.
This is a big, round, smooth, balanced Syrah, very different than any I can remember. The fruit is in the background, forming the backbone, not background, of a soulful groove. It’s the bassist that has played Big Bottom type lead bass but is content to propel the track by pushing the beat. Many thanks to the boys in brown for their delivery dynamism, to Alice and WCC for pulling my name out of the hat, and to Jillian Johnson DeLeon for making such a soulful wine. Salut!
*Full disclosure: I love Jillian’s wines, so there might be some bias in this review (though I didn’t actually know she made Syrah too.) I will note that her Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc and Rose are bursting and vivacious, while this one is a bit abstruse. Still full of life, just more introverted, understated, contemplative… what else can I say?
@KitMarlot
/giphy grueling-clammy-rogue
@KitMarlot “abstruse”…had to look that one up! Thanks for the education this morning.
@KitMarlot Thank you for the praise of the Syrah. It is my masterpiece. And I agree with the music reference…the bass guitar that makes the song, like Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion.
@WineDocNapa Always appreciate having the winemaker drop by to answer questions. Saw your note about anthocyanin dropout, it was interesting to me that the sediment was only around the neck of the bottle and didn’t seem to get into my glass when I poured, nor hung around the bottom of the bottle in storage.
@KitMarlot Great observation. The wine is stored neck down, so the cork does not dry out and less oxygen through the cork into the wine.
As the anthocyanins drop out of solution, they settle to the neck and form a film on the side of the bottle.
@KitMarlot @WineDocNapa
Isn’t inverted storage the norm?
@KitMarlot @rjquillin Yes
I was super excited when I opened the box and noticed it was Onesta. I have great memories of their Cinsault, and would like more.
Rested in the cellar for ~4 days before opening.
Decanted for about an hour, no sediment in the bottle.
Murkey ruby color
Nose: candied and stewed fruits. Dark Cherries, Coco, some cedar and eucalyptus
Finish: medium length, mild acid, smooth, mild tannins, dusty.
Overall balanced, and a well made wine.
QPR @ $20 isn’t there for me, but could be a good deal for folks who like this style at the case price
An interesting contrast
@KingKoopa
@KitMarlot
@KingKoopa @rjquillin That’s part of the reason I worked so hard to take/post the picture of the neck of the bottle. I’ve never seen that before. There was no sediment on the cork or in the bottom of my bottle either. Looking at the picture @KingKoopa took of bottle, there might be sediment in the neck of that bottle too, can’t say for sure.
@KingKoopa these rat reviews are exactly why I keep coming back to CM!
Thanks for the honesty here, as I was waffling in my brain if I could handle the dollar hit here for a Syrah.
When I saw this offering of something I haven’t seen from Onesta before, it got me thinking that this would have been great to get into an assorted Onesta offering,
@KitMarlot @rjquillin good point! Sad I recycled the bottle already, but took a closer look at another photo a took, and there is a wide band around the middle of neck.
@KingKoopa @KitMarlot @rjquillin
Hello all, thanks for brining up the sediment. Syrah is very rich in anthocyanin (color). Even though the wine is filtered before bottling, I still see color dropout during aging. This is common in high end Australian Shiraz too.
Anyone in the KC area interested in splitting a case of this? I’m definitely interested in the case price, but I don’t want all twelve bottles.
@worbx I would be willing to split a case. I live in Lenexa. Obviously, there’s no shipping to KS. I’m assuming you have the free (unlimited) shipping?
Sorry about the late response. If it doesn’t come off no worries.
@Savagesam Oh, shoot… I think somehow I read KY as KS. So, unfortunately I am also in KS, so I wouldn’t be able to order, either. Hmm… I don’t suppose anyone in MO is reading this at this late hour?
@worbx I know someone in MO (Lees Summit) that would gladly accept the wines if you are still interested in a 50/50 split?
@Savagesam Count me in!
@worbx Ordered the case… I’ll be out of town in the expected delivery window… I’ll contact you once it gets in… and I’m back in town!
Curious why no shipping to NH. I believe all of the state stores sell Onesta.
@cdgrimm Maybe she doesn’t have a license to ship to individuals?
@cdgrimm @InFrom
Pretty sure the state stores want to keep selling the wines so no shipping from outside sources.
@cdgrimm @InFrom I don’t have a license to ship to individuals.
@InFrom @WineDocNapa
Got it, thanks.
/giphy eaten-smiling-bushbaby
Interested in a split - Worcester MA based here
I would be Grateful for a split in CMH
NJ/NYC
This is an easy buy! Onesta has the golden touch for everything they do!
@Kraxberger Thank you!
Hello Casemates community! I know you all love my Cinsault. The Syrah is a completely different personality. Cinsault is elegant, medium body, very fruit forward. My Syrah is a big bold red wine with nice tannin structure, earthy, spicy flavors, and mocha sweetness from the French oak. If you like bigger reds, this one is for you.
Open for a split, Omaha, NE?
/giphy eerie-grotesque-swallow
Can’t resist. Syrah is my jam.
SoCal splitz?
I love Onesta wine, North Florida needs some of this Syrah! In for a dozen…
/giphy flaky-mulish-spade
Drinking a great Syrah right now (Tensley Colson Canyon, 2016)…helping to convince me to buy a case of Onesta! I know, different animal…but same grape!
I got me self a dozen. Could not resist the urge
/giphy fastest-new-barley
