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Tensley Wines crafts award-winning, vineyard-designated Syrah from Santa Barbara County, but that’s not all you need to know about winemaker Joey Tensley’s wine brand. Wine lovers adore Tensley Wines and the Joey Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah in particular because these wines can be enjoyed at any age. The brand’s flagship, Syrah, can be cracked open just as soon as it’s released, or you can age them in the cellar.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you already know that we are huge fans of California Rhone wines – and the Rhone varieties, in general. Whether we’re talking about Rhone-inspired wines from Paso, Monterey, or even Walla Walla, this is one of our most-sipped styles of wine.
When we opened the 2022 Colson Canyon from Tensley, we knew we’d found another winner.
Discovering Wine at a Young Age Most of the winemakers featured on our blog typically discover their passion for wine in adulthood, often after reaching the legal drinking age. However, Joey Tensley’s fascination with the world of wine began at an unusually young age. He was just 12 years old when he first became captivated by winemaking.
While on a soccer trip as a child, Joey’s team had the unusual experience (at least for children) of touring a French wine cave. The sights and smells in the ancient cave left a huge impression on him, and one that he still remembers to this day. It was that experience as a child that pushed him to become a winemaker as an adult.
In 1993, as soon as he was legally able, Joey got a job at Fess Parker, an old school Santa Barbara winery, and, just three years later, became the Assistant Winemaker at Babcock Vineyards.
Over the next few years, Tensley would work diligently to hone his craft. By 1998, he was ready to launch his own wine brand, which would exclusively focus on Santa Barbara Syrah.
Today, the winery produces 5,000 cases a year, 1200 of which are dedicated to Tensley’s award-winning Colson Canyon Syrah.
Joe Tensley is no stranger to receiving high scores on his Santa Barbara Syrahs. Some of the world’s most famous wine critics regularly dole out scores in the high 90s, with one vintage even receiving a 99 point score from Robert Parker. Culinary tome Food & Wine Magazine also declared Tensley Syrahs the “Top Syrah in America over $20.”
If we’re specifically talking about the 2022 Colson Canyon Syrah, Jeb Dunnuck dubbed this bottling a 96-98 point score upon release. With critical reception like this, you can see why so many wine aficionados can’t wait to get their hands on Tensley’s releases.
Tensely may have started his wine label in 1998, but it was love at first sight when Joey discovered the Colson Canyon Vineyard back in 1997. Colson Canyon is a rugged piece of land. The estate property is 115 acres, but just 16 of those acres are hospitable to grape growing because the terrain is so hilly and rocky.
Roughly 20 years after he began purchasing fruit from Colson Canyon, in 2016 Joey and his wife purchased the site, bringing the vineyard-to-glass process full circle.
USA
Santa Barbara County
Shiraz / Syrah
15
Joey Tensley
62–68°F / 16–20°C
Burgundy
30 Minutes
Drink now to 2035
Tensley
The 2022 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah is a textbook example of Santa Barbara Syrah. In the glass, the wine is a brilliant ruby red. The bouquet is lush and features notes of black cherry, black currant, and blackberry interwoven with subtle nuances of smoke. Even before your first sip, this wine entices you.
On the palate, this Syrah’s flavor intensity sings with primary notes of black cherry, blackberry, and blueberry. In other words, it echos the nose. Secondary elements of smooth oak and smoke mix with leather, further adding to the wine’s complexity. The full-bodied, dry profile culminates in a long and memorable finish.
Tensley has two tasting rooms, one in Los Angeles and a flagship tasting room in Los Olivos.
The Los Angeles wine tasting room, which is located in Toney Brentwood, opened in 2023 and has already captured the attention of Southern California wine lovers. If you live in Southern California, visiting Tensley Wines’ Los Angeles tasting room is a great way to experience Santa Barbara wine country without the long drive.
Tensley Wines Brentwood Tasting Room is located at:
11677 San Vicente Blvd Suite 116 Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA 90049.
The space is located in the Brentwood Plaza Garden.
The Los Olivos tasting room is located at:
2900 Grand Avenue, Suite B . Los Olivos, CA 93441
