92-94pt "Châteauneuf-like" California Red Blend
- 92 - 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck92 - 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck
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2018 Tensley All Blocks Estate Blend Santa Barbara County 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Our Santa Barbara Obsession
Joey Tensley, who has earned his critical darling status through off-the-charts quality and rock-steady consistency, is a master of Central Coast Rhône wines. He has placed wines in Wine Spectator's Top 20 and brushed against perfection with 99-point scores from Robert Parker.
Since our first Tensley offer in 2009, the wines have become an obsession at Wine Access, crushing member ratings for their ability to overdeliver hedonistic and high-toned vibrancy. The 2018 Tensley All Blocks Estate Blend pulls out all the stops, reaching what Jeb Dunnuck calls "Châteauneuf du Pape-like character and complexity" at 94-points. The release is unapologetically rich, but today it's an impressively low $29.
Joey Tensley's Rhône-style wines have garnered the kind of praise from Wine Advocate that makes collectors brace for stratospheric prices: the winemaker has "flirted with perfection" with "high-end, super-duper wines" that commonly land mid-90s scores from the Advocate. Tensley has done it without rocketing through that three-digit price point that now seems run-of-the-mill for such overperforming California wines.
Joey has been on a mission to deliver Rhône-level red blends from Santa Barbara has been ongoing with focused persistence for the last 20 years. In 2016, he acquired the prized Colson Canyon vineyard that makes up most of the All Blocks Grenache-Syrah blend. The last time we visited, we were struck by how Châteauneuf-like the vineyard was: rocky and rugged, the vineyard slopes down from 1,400 feet at the edge of a canyon in the warmer inland territory of Santa Barbara. We left with dusty boots and sunburned faces—our skin is not as thick as the Syrah grapes.
We discovered the boldly fruity, blackberry and pink peppercorn scented 2018 All Blocks release on that visit, and unanimously agreed on dinner plans: Tim's Neighborhood BBQ truck. Over brisket and paper cups full of this 92-94 point California perfection, we celebrated landing another steal from one of our favorite Rhône blend producers.