2019 Marietta Cellars Syrah Gibson Block McDowell Valley 750 ml

If you haven’t heard of California’s McDowell Valley, you’re not alone. Tucked in the Mayacamas Mountains in southeastern Mendocino County, the AVA is tiny—just 540 acres are planted to grapes—and it includes one of the most remarkable patches of vines in North America. 

It’s called the Gibson Block. Planted in multiple rounds dating back to the 1880s, its towering dry-farmed vines are some of the oldest in the western world—and they produce one of the most criminally undiscovered reds made in California.

The 2019 Marietta Cellars Syrah Gibson Block is a stunning portrait of these historic vines, and thankfully, it has not escaped the critics’ notice. Both Wine Advocate and James Suckling gave it 95 points, the latter calling it “a lovely example of what Northern California Syrah is capable of.” 

Founded in 1978 by Chris Bilbro, now in the hands of his sons Jake and Scot, Marietta has focused on quality at reasonable pricing from the very beginning. They started with their spectacular Old Vine Red, a “mixed blacks” blend that quickly became a company calling card.

Today the winery owns and farms 400 acres of their own vines organically, having acquired McDowell Valley Vineyards in 2012. The McDowell Valley itself is a hidden jewel of California viticulture. It sits on a sloped benchland at 1,000 feet above sea level, completely boxed in by steep cliffs. Through its western flank cuts the Russian River. In the springtime, the mountains give warmth that staves off frost. In the hot months, they create a cold sink that makes the valley appreciably cooler than the surrounding area. 

Those virtues make it perfect for Syrah, as this bottle makes plain.