PRODUCER: Piedrasassi
REGION: Santa Barbara, California, USA
WINEMAKERS: Sashi Moorman
Writing for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck describes the range from Piedrasassi as “serious wines that merit attention,” – no wonder, since Piedrasassi’s wines offer a fascinating blend of turbo-charged fruit and classical (almost European-style) structure. The common thread is authenticity – wines that represent a time and place – honest wines made with great love and care by an extremely passionate group of people.
WINERY HISTORY
Founded in 2003, Piedrasassi was formed with the goal of producing compelling cool climate Syrah from Santa Barbara County. Owners Sashi Moorman and Melissa Sorongon have extremely eclectic tastes in wine – and it shows in their products. Their range extends from their signature Syrahs made with native yeasts and low sulphur, through richly-textured Sauvignon Blanc created by extended skin contact during fermentation, to fresh, juicy and lively Sangiovese vinified in whole berry clusters. A veritable encyclopaedia of Santa Barbara vineyards, Sashi sources some of the region’s best grapes to create wines of staggering vibrancy and life. Motivated not just by the windswept hills of Santa Barbara, the viticultural heritage of the Northern Rhône pervades the wines of Piedrasassi.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
The fruit for Piedrasassi is cultivated in the completely unique transverse valleys of Santa Barbara County. The only part of the States' western seaboard where the coastal valleys run west-east as opposed to north-south, the cool winds from the Pacific pour over these grapes, providing optimal cool-climate growing conditions. In the vineyard, the team picks earlier than their Santa Barbara County colleagues, keeping the alcohol levels in balance with flavour while preserving the natural acidity of the fruit. With a portfolio now broadened to include Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese, Sashi’s pioneering spirit defines the label.
Each vintage reveals the intimate sense of place Sashi coaxes from his fruit. He seems blessed by that all-too-rare trait of knowing when to stand back from the winemaking process and let the fruit speak for itself. Time-tested, minimalist winemaking employing whole cluster inclusion and native yeast fermentations allows the quality and nature of the fruit to sing. Experimentation is not avoided at Piedrasassi, and authenticity is an ever-present through line. These wines exhibit not only a wonderful bouquet of flavours and aromas, but an ethos of passion, love, and care. Their Sangiovese bottling is a non-vintage play on Vin Santo, deeply concentrated with a rich and persistent palate marked by flavours of dried cherries, vanilla, brown sugar, and spice.
In the words of Sashi, the most complete articulation of these wines occurs at the dinner table, alongside good food and good company. The spirit of these wines is, perhaps, best demonstrated by the quote on Piedrasassi’s homepage: “A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou.” – Omar Khayyam
Sashi and Melissa also own a bakery where they freshly mill American heritage grains for naturally-leavened loaves that they sell weekly at the Santa Barbara farmers' market.
IN THE PRESS
"Sashi Moorman's cold-climate Syrahs are some of the most compelling and distinctive wines being made in California. They see quite a bit of stem inclusion, which further exalts the peppery, savory character of these coastal sites." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"Sashi Moorman excels with bold, flavorful Syrah and Rhône inspired wines at his Piedrasassi label. These have been some of my favorite Central Coast wines for a number of years." - Antonio Gallo, Vinous
"Across several single vineyards and AVAs, this label makes a beautifully Pinot-esque Syrah, no doubt thanks to winemaker Sashi Moorman's extensive experience making great Pinot Noir." - Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com
