This luxurious red honors Stevan Larner and commemorates his and Mac’s mutual passion for Grenache.

VINIFICATION: 30% whole cluster fermented in small, open top bins, and spent 15-20 days on skins with pump-overs during cold soak and punch downs during fermentation. Aged 18 months in 228-liter barriques, French Oak, 15% new.

TASTING NOTES: Starts with violet, satsuma, peachwood smoke, and a hint of brown spice. The palate is bright with dragonfruit, jasmine, and sweet tea. The silky and supple mouthfeel will pair well with roast chicken and sausage stuffing

REVIEWS

96 points, Jeb Dunnuck

Another best to date is the 2016 Hommage a Stephen Larner, which is 64% Grenache and 36% Syrah brought up mostly in neutral barrels (15% new), sourced all from the Ballard Canyon region of Santa Barbara County. It offers truly spectacular notes of assorted darker fruits, toasted spices, dried meat, and white pepper. Rounded, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully layered, it reminds me of a great Châteauneuf du Pape. Drink it any time over the coming 8-10 years.

This estate hit a home run with these latest 2016s, and the charming, more supple style of the vintage worked perfectly with the more savory, classic style preferred by McPrice Myers. These are unquestionably the finest wines I’ve tasted from him, and readers should snatch up these wines.

2016 Vintage: 94 points, Vinous

Deep brilliant ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of fresh blueberry, cherry cola, potpourri, and incense show excellent clarity and spicy lift. Deeply concentrated yet lively blue fruit, spice cake, and violet pastille flavors pick up a minerally quality with air. Hints of candied licorice and five-spice powder build on the suave, alluringly sweet and strikingly long finish, which features emerging tannins and a touch of florality.