2009 Epiphany Paradise Road Vyd Santa Barbara Syrah Duo

2 x 2009 Epiphany Paradise Road Vyd Santa Barbara Syrah

Paradise Road is the first vineyard you see off to the right as you break through the morning fog and come up over the mountains from the city of Santa Barbara. The Santa Ynez Valley opens below, and it is a breathtaking sight. This bottling is an incredible taste of what this beautiful site is capable of.

Founded by Eli Parker and with Blair Fox at the winemaking helm, Epiphany Cellars is a boutique winery exploring Rhône varieties grown in unique vineyard sites throughout Santa Barbara County. The Paradise Road Syrah, a snapshot of the warmer far-eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, is one of my favorites in the portfolio.

Tasting Notes
The 2009 Epiphany Cellars Paradise Road Vineyard Syrah is deeply colored and fabulously complex. It possesses deeply layered aromas of ripe blackberry, plum, cassis, spice, smoke, bacon fat and earth. You could spend minutes with your nose in the glass just trying to take it all in before you take a sip. Once you do get it in your mouth, the moderate acidity and gobs of plush, ripe tannins create a texture normally reserved for wines two or three times the price. This is a special bottle of wine that will elevate any rich lamb dish or fine, dry-aged beef.

—Eric Lawrence Brown

Eric Lawrence Brown has 10 years of wine experience, with five years as Sales Manager at renowned Los Angeles retailer, Wally’s Wine & Spirits. Since relocating from the East Coast eight years ago, this formerly devout Europhile was converted into an avowed proponent of the region as one of the world’s finest – thanks to frequent tasting expeditions to California’s Central Coast, not to mention proselytizing by local wine gurus. Eric holds certifications from the Court of Master Sommeliers, as well as the Society of Wine Educators.