2022 Arnot-Roberts Clary Ranch Syrah, Sonoma Coast

The 2022 Syrah Clary Ranch is a wine of total precision and class. In 2022, it is also especially linear, more floral and savory, with fine balance and tons of persistence. Crushed flowers, mint, kirsch and orange peel all race across the palate. I especially admire the precision here.

Duncan Arnot and Nathan Roberts navigated the ups and downs of the year with notable success. “Two thousand twenty-two was a perfect year, until the heat arrived,” Roberts commented wryly. There are plenty of highlights in this range. The Pinots are especially fine, while the Syrahs aren’t too far behind. I was also quite taken with the Haynes Chardonnay (in its last vintage here) and the Ribolla, two whites that did especially well in a vintage where the whites are inconsistent.

Clary Ranch is a stunning hillside planting in the heart of the Petaluma Gap near Tomales Bay. Paul Clary took a big risk in 2000 when he planted Pinot Noir and Syrah in this extremely cold and windy site. The ranch is now owned and tended by Drew Beuchley and the same crew that has worked these vines since they were planted. The Coast Range Mountains in Northern California run parallel to the coastline but take a sudden dip and nearly disappear around Bodega Bay in Sonoma County. It is at this point that cool air over the Pacific Ocean is drawn inland via convective forces through the Petaluma Gap, moderating the climate in this entire section of the Sonoma Coast. Our coldest vineyard for Syrah, Clary has been harvested as late as November 18th at under 12% alcohol. The protracted growing season paired with the sedimentary clay-loam soils slow the ripening and allow us to farm without irrigation resulting in fruit that is deeply pigmented and loaded with flavor. The resulting wines we have made exhibit soaring aromatics, expressive exotic spice notes, and high natural acidity that are hallmarks of this wind scraped vineyard.