SyRAWR Las Madres Vineyard Syrah Carneros 2019

We are thrilled to announce a new Kyle Gellis wine! That’s right, one of our favorite up-and-coming young winemakers- the man behind Blue Monster, Until the End, and Gellis Family Domain has blown us away with yet another rich, velvety, and supremely decadent wine. SyRAWR is Kyle’s debut take on a Northern Rhone Syrah- it is brimming with luscious, dark berry characteristics and grippy tannins. When it came to creating the label for this wine, Kyle’s girlfriend Erika, a sommelier at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, suggested that this wine was so big and brooding that it practically roared like a dinosaur… and it stuck! If you’re new to this incredible winemaker, below is a brief bio on this intriguing character.

Hailing from South Florida, Kyle Gellis started a successful boutique cigar business at just 18. Warped Cigars, established in 2007 in Miami, is known for producing extremely limited, unique Cuban cigars. Hand-rolled a few hundred at a time, each cigar is personally blended by Kyle to bring sensory components into harmonious balance. Familiar with tobacco farming and its importance to the individuality of a cigar, he wondered if grape growing would hold the key to his next venture in life. He quickly discovered the importance of specific farming practices and soil types while gaining a new appreciation for Mother Nature's gifts and wrath. Ultimately, Kyle gravitated to the work in the cellar, and with this freshly lit fire, the vintner within emerged. The blending skills that led to his early success in the cigar business would translate seamlessly to winemaking in ways he did not imagine. With such vision and attention to detail, it is no surprise Kyle has become a competitive producer in the wine world.

This debut Syrah hails from the cool climate Las Madres vineyard on the extreme southern edge of Napa and Sonoma. The grapes were handpicked and open-top fermented with 30% whole clusters and 3% Viognier for an extra lift of aromatics. Pressed to French Oak barriques (25% new) for a 21-month élevage before bottling, this wine is unfined and unfiltered. This Syrah explodes with dark blue fruit, smoked wild game, black pepper, wild purple florals, crushed rock, menthol, and iron elements. The tannins are like silk strokes on canvas, and the structure is firmly set in its way with a long life ahead of it. Just 45 cases produced.