Rhone varieties like Syrah and Grenache have only recently hit their stride in California, mostly thanks to the importation of higher-quality vine cuttings from France over the last two decades. Today, the Central Coast, including Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles, is ground zero for California's Rhone Rangers. Numerous sites in the region offer the ideal range of temperatures that Syrah needs to thrive. This Syrah comes from the elevated Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard in the high Cuyama Valley.

In 2005, with the price of land in California spiraling upward, former sommelier Joshua Klapper set out to establish a wine label that would purchase fruit from prime vineyards rather than investing in its own land. His strength was his honed palate, not his bank account. So began Timeless Palate Wines and his à Côte and La Fenêtre labels. He's already off to a great start, as evidenced by this stylish single-vineyard Syrah.