2022 Tensley, Nolan Vineyard Red, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
Critics reviews
The 2022 Red Wine Nolan Vineyard is showing very well. It’s a big wine, as all the 2022s are, but it also offers tons of aromatic nuance, complexity and personality. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, cinnamon, dried herbs and liquorice all race across the palate. This is a fine follow-up to the 2021.
Joey Tensley’s 2021s capture all the potential I sensed when I tasted them from barrel last year. The wines offer a combination of fruit purity, textural intensity and vibrancy that perfectly captures the essence of 2021. Most of the wines see some whole cluster, around 25-30% and minimal new oak, also around 25%, with one or two exceptions.
The 2022s, which I tasted just prior to bottling, show a touch more fruit intensity and overall concentration. It will be interesting to see how those wines develop over the next year.
Drink 2024 - 2032
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2023)
The 2022 Red Wine Nolan Vineyard is a blend of equal parts Petite Sirah, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It's deeply scented of blueberry and blackcurrant and offers nuances of dried beef, coffee, soy sauce, violet and sage. The full-bodied palate is structured by powerful, clay-textured tannins and bright sparks of juicy acidity. It has a highly concentrated, perfumed core of fruit and a very long, layered and detailed finish—what great definition and fragrance!
Drink 2025 - 2040
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (December 2023)
A blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah, the 2022 Nolan Red Wine is a massive fruit bomb delivering tons of ripe black and blue fruits as well as some chocolate, leafy herbs, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. It brings tons of fruit, is full-bodied, and has a great finish.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (August 2023)
About this WINE
Tensley Wines
Joey Tensley discovered wine at the age of 12 during a soccer trip to Bordeaux. He started making wine in 1993 at 22 and set up his own Tensley brand in 1998, spending the next 20 years finessing his craft with vintages in Chile, Argentina, Spain, and the Rhône Valley. Joey had already discovered a particular passion for Syrah and had started his own production in Santa Barbara with the mindset to create great quality and affordable wines from Rhône varieties.
He has since extended his range, producing exciting top-quality Syrah from single vineyards with excellent cellaring potential under the Tensley label, as well as brilliant and affordable Rhône blends, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon for drinking now under his Fundamental label.
Joey’s approach is simple: he works with great fruit from the best growers in the Central Coast and is as ‘hands-off’ as possible in the winery with minimum use of oak and sulfur. In 2016, he purchased 16 acres of his only estate vineyard, Colson Canyon, which lies above the all-important fog line, from which he had already been buying grapes to make his flagship cuvée since 2000.
Known as the King of Syrah, Joey Tensley has become renowned for his expertise with this variety, gaining a long list of accolades and high scores from critics such as Robert Parker. Today, he is widely recognized as one of the foremost winemakers in California. His wines reflect his thoughtful, laid-back approach and demonstrate a mineral purity that is quite exceptional for this region, especially at these price points.
Santa Barbara County
At the foot of the Central Coast, just north of Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara County reverberates with its Missionary past, although viticulture as we know didn't arrive here until the 1970s. Now there are 6,000 ha of world class Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.
While fog banks shape the season, together with a notable rainfall deficit between May & November, elevated terraces such as Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley AVA faciliate premium fruit growing. Santa Ynez Valley AVA enjoys similar trait, though cooler still;
Recommended Producers:
Au Bon Climat's Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay from the region's Santa Rita hills is a prime example. Qupe are another excellent source
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
The 2022 Red Wine Nolan Vineyard is showing very well. It’s a big wine, as all the 2022s are, but it also offers tons of aromatic nuance, complexity and personality. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, cinnamon, dried herbs and liquorice all race across the palate. This is a fine follow-up to the 2021.
Joey Tensley’s 2021s capture all the potential I sensed when I tasted them from barrel last year. The wines offer a combination of fruit purity, textural intensity and vibrancy that perfectly captures the essence of 2021. Most of the wines see some whole cluster, around 25-30% and minimal new oak, also around 25%, with one or two exceptions.
The 2022s, which I tasted just prior to bottling, show a touch more fruit intensity and overall concentration. It will be interesting to see how those wines develop over the next year.
Drink 2024 - 2032
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2023)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee