Madson Syrah Sta. Rita Hills Kessler-Haak Vineyard 2020

Madson Wines is the collaborative effort of winemaker Cole Thomas and viticulturalists Ken Sweles and Abbey Crystal. Their focus is on producing limited bottlings of organically farmed grapes from the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Rita Hills of central California. Cole has a deep agricultural background, beginning with organic vegetable farming and seed saving before finding his way into the winemaking world, where he worked for Jeff Emrey of Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, returning to California in 2018 to found Madson Wines. Ken and Abbey have impressive experience as vineyard managers and growers, and have been part of the region’s winemaking community for many years. Madson sources fruit exclusively from vineyards that practice organic and regenerative viticulture, and Cole’s winemaking is transparent and non-interventionist, relying on native yeasts for fermentation, aging in neutral oak, and bottling without fining or filtration, with minimal sulfur. Madson also operates as a 100% carbon-neutral winery. This syrah comes from the 22 acre Kessler-Haak vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, from vines an average of 20 years old. Channeling the spirit of the Northern Rhône, it offers up layers of brambly blackberry and black raspberry, pepper-rubbed bacon, thyme, tarragon, and rosemary, with a hint of licorice and cracked black pepper on the finish. A fantastic companion to roast lamb, or to elevate any BBQ. Organically grown.