Fast facts:
- 2021 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous les Jours Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, California ($13.89 @ Costco, California – Item # 636736)
Here we are nearly a month into Spring so it’s time to start leaning into wines that would be perfectly at home with BBQ. Syrah is high on that list.
Tous les Jours means “every day” in French. And the name says it all. In a line up of more expensive wines from Santa Barbara wine icon Andrew Murray, this wine is more affordable than his other wines, but with a very high QPR nonetheless. That will happen when the esteemed wine critic Jeb Dunnuck bestows a 91 point score on a wine that is below $15, although you can find it online for twice the price. Mr. Dunnuck goes so far as to say that the wine is “a smoking value year-in, year out.” And since we have been fans of Andrew Murray since he arrived on our local scene over 30 years ago, we enthusiastically agree.
Tasting Notes:
WYSIWYG. The 2021 Tous Les Jours Syrah offers juicy black and blue fruits as well as medium body, white pepper, herb and leather notes, modest tannins, and a clean, lengthy finish. Some reviewers comment on aromas and flavors of toasted oak, but I think they are just imagining it. To my palate, I am guessing that if there is any oak involved in aging, it is in casks that have gone neutral after a life of service to the more expensive wines in the line up. I am going to go out on a bit of a limb here and say that I actually detect qualities in this wine that suggest the use of concrete fermentation vessels. Not that there is anything wrong with that as this let’s the pure fruit shine. This wine would pair really well with a wide rangs of foods, including roasted meats, leaner cuts of beef, soft cheeses and vegetarian fare using tomato sauces. ABV = 14.5%
Beyond Southern California, Santa Barbara wine county (as opposed to the city) is a bit of a head scratcher to many wine consumers. That’s too bad. The region produces spectacular wines from an equally spectacular landscape. Diversity is what defines the authentic vibe of Santa Barbara wine country. The center of its wine universe is arguably the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys, an easy 45-minute drive over the hill from Santa Barbara, with rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see. It offers a quintessential wine country experience marked by world-class wine, cuisine, and hospitality.
Much of the magic that makes Santa Barbara a world-class winemaking region is Mother Nature’s handiwork. The Santa Ynez Mountains that anchor this area, and the fertile valleys that they create, represent the only traverse along the entire Pacific Coast — from Alaska all the way down to Chile — that runs east-west. The weather conditions that this creates, driven by a steady influence of ocean air and marked by distinct weather swings from morning until night, translate into prime grape-growing conditions. The 30-mile drive from the western stretches of Lompoc to the eastern pockets of Los Olivos paints the picture: the air temperature will often climb one degree for every mile you travel.
These very special weather conditions, combined with an unbeatable variety of soils, have defined Santa Barbara wine country in exciting ways. For one, diversity is the calling card here. Unlike other regions that are known for the handful of grapes they grow well, all varieties thrive in Santa Barbara County: Burgundian grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley; Rhone grapes like Syrah and Grenache in Ballard Canyon; and Bordeaux heavyweights like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Happy Canyon. Toss in projects that feature Italian and Spanish varieties, late harvest wines and a surging focus on bubbly, and the options are as limitless as they are in the more famous Sonoma County.
One of the benefits of living here in California is that producers like Murray can sell directly to retailers like Costco. But we are hoping that this wine enjoys broader distribution to Costco stores outside the Golden State. Happy hunting.
Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?
If your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
Cheers!
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