2021 Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve
Tasting notes
Black cherry, blackberry Jam, smoked brisket, iodine, black olive tapenade, and sweet tobacco. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with remarkable texture and a perfect combination of ripe dark fruits and savory, earthy tones. Complex and delicious, with silky tannins and balanced acidity, the range of flavors and nuances here is outstanding. Plush and layered, the wine finishes remarkably savory, with a kiss of red fruit sweetness. Enjoy now or in the next 20 years.
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Vineyard | Conner Lee Scarline |
| Alcohol | 14.60% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 187 |
#25: Gård, Grand Klasse Syrah, Royal Slope, Columbia Valley, Washington 2021 (Decanter's Top 50 US Wines)
Matías Kúsulas was in his first vintage as head winemaker at Gård in the 2021 vintage, and his talent for coaxing balance and finesse from the hot wine growing regions in the desert of Eastern Washington is immediately apparent. Made in a Cornas style, very reductive, and 85% whole cluster, Kúsulas wants his Syrahs to be savoury. This fruit comes from Conner Lee, which has deep sandy soils, and Scarline, which has shallow soils. Sleek Black fruits have plenty of tension, and real elegance and umami are here in spades.
98 pts - Decanter
96 pts - Jeremy Young, Intnernational Wine Report
95 pts - Owen Bargreen
93 pts - Sean Sullivan
Gård Vintners wines are 100% estate grown sustainably at Lawrence Vineyards, featuring 14 distinct vineyard sites. With elevations that range 870 feet to 1,675 feet and primarily south-facing slopes, Lawrence Vineyards provide a great framework for grape production, while the diversity of each of the locations delivers a high level of complexity to Gård wines. Lawrence Vineyards is certified sustainable.
MATÍAS KÚSULAS
Winemaker & Viticulturist
A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.
