Donnachadh Estate Rosé of Syrah 2025

The Donnachadh Estate Rosé of Syrah is a gorgeous, expressive wine that marries freshness with lovely mid-palate creaminess and texture. Pale salmon skin color in the glass, aromas of cantaloupe and panna cotta lead, with notes of tangerine peel and potpourri. The light-bodied palate is vibrant and refreshing with a generous core of fruit and a textural grip that extends the finish. Exotic spices, dark red fruit, game, black pepper, lavender and dried apricot explode from the glass. A bright, saline finish reminds you of this site's proximity to the Pacific Ocean.

100% Syrah sourced entirely from the family owned and organically farmed Donnachadh estate in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County. Grapes were hand picked at a ripeness chosen to provide bright acidity and intense fruit flavors. Immediately upon arrival at the winery, grapes were crushed, pressed and transferred to steel tanks for five months of ageing on lees. The lovely medium pink color of the wine comes from brief skin contact durping pressing of deeply colored Syrah.

Drew and Laurie Duncan searched almost a decade for the perfect cool climate site to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before finally discovering Donnachadh Vineyard. Organically farmed in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, the property was planted to vine by the Duncans in 2013. Santa Barbara Winemaker Ernst Storm is at the healm for winemaking. Having hailed from the Western Cape of South Africa, his experience making balanced wines from cool climate grapes has served him well in the Sta. Rita Hills. Ernst believes that the diverse soils and microclimates within Santa Barbara County make it a region with endless potential.

Pronounced "DON-nuh-kuh," Donnachadh is a 4th century Gaelic name ancestral to the modern Scottish surname, Duncan. The label art by Chris Buzelli shows a sea serpent from Scottish legend surrounded by mist and blowing fog to represent the mystical, rugged setting and marine influence of the vineyard site in the Sta. Rita Hills.