“Sashi Moorman’s Piedrasassi label focuses on Syrah. The wines are deep, savoury, and quite distinctive. In recent years, the use of whole clusters has come down, but that has not materially changed the personalities of the wine, or their tremendous appeal.” -Antonio Galloni

The husband and wife team began making a small amount of wine in Lompoc, CA in 2003 under the Piedrasassi label. The focus of Piedrasassi’s wine program is the cool climate Syrah. Sashi & Melissa believe that good Syrah can be made at many sites in Santa Barbara County, but it is at the cool climate sites that Syrah is at its most compelling; producing the most complex aromas and the most savoury textures. The vineyard sites for Piedrasassi range from Ballard Canyon in the east to the Santa Rita Hills and Arroyo Grande in the west.

In the vineyard, Sashi picks a bit earlier than local Santa Barbara County colleagues to keep alcohol levels in balance with flavour and to preserve the natural acidity of the fruit. He also uses some whole-cluster inclusion, only indigenous yeast fermentation, and no sulphur added at fermentation, remaining as natural as possible without compromising the integrity, flavour, and stability of the wine.

On the nose, the 2019 Rim Rock offers aromas of dark fruits, potpourri, and violets. This leads to a palate laden with savoury flavours of licorice, worn leather, cracked black pepper, and hints of smoked meat. Prominent, palate-coating tannins create a rustic and robust finish. We generally recommend cellaring our Rim Rock Syrah for several years prior to opening; should you wish to enjoy it now, we advise serving it slightly cool alongside a nice hunk of protein. In 2019, only 259 cases of Rim Rock Syrah were produced.