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Bob Lindquist helped give winemaking in the Central Coast its confidence, its voice, its Rhône soul. Back when he was co-founder and longtime winemaker at Qupé, Bob showed that the Central Coast could produce wines with restraint, elegance, and site expression. He did this in a time (the 1980s and ’90s), most of California’s wine attention (and money) was on Cabernet and Chardonnay. He eschewed the overly ripe, high-octane wine styles that dominated California. His focus then and til he passed was on Rhone varieties. Bob led the championing of growing Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Roussane in Santa Barbara. He correctly believed California’s Central Coast could produce wines with restraint, elegance, and site expression. Bob worked closely with top vineyard sites like Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, and others long before vineyard designation became a marketing buzzword. He treated the Central Coast like Burgundy, letting site, climate, and soil speak through his juice. Such thought and attention helped establish the region’s identity as nuanced and place-driven. Bob was cool.
In 1996 Bob established Lindquist Family Wines. They winery was personal, family-driven, and deliberately small in scale. The goal of his boutique winery was to zero in on Syrah from the coolest vineyard sites Santa Barbara County had to offer. He sought to make wines that emphasized elegance, acidity, and age-worthiness.
Lindquist Syrah is a textbook example of why Santa Barbara County excels with this grape. It offers richness and restraint. There’s enticing, savory flavors of blackberries, black cherries, cracked pepper, and violets. The aromas and tastes of violets happily pervade the entire drink. There’s a layering of smoked meat, olive tapenade, and dried herbs. It depth continually surprises without heaviness. It all feels peacefully composed.
This wine is best after it has been decanted for an hour. Decanting this makes all the difference.
Bob Lindquist helped give winemaking in the Central Coast its confidence, its voice, its Rhône soul. Back when he was co-founder and longtime winemaker at Qupé, Bob showed that the Central Coast could produce wines with restraint, elegance, and site expression. He did this in a time (the 1980s and ’90s), most of California’s wine attention (and money) was on Cabernet and Chardonnay. He eschewed the overly ripe, high-octane wine styles that dominated California. His focus then and til he passed was on Rhone varieties. Bob led the championing of growing Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Roussane in Santa Barbara. He correctly believed California’s Central Coast could produce wines with restraint, elegance, and site expression. Bob worked closely with top vineyard sites like Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, and others long before vineyard designation became a marketing buzzword. He treated the Central Coast like Burgundy, letting site, climate, and soil speak through his juice. Such thought and attention helped establish the region’s identity as nuanced and place-driven. Bob was cool.
In 1996 Bob established Lindquist Family Wines. They winery was personal, family-driven, and deliberately small in scale. The goal of his boutique winery was to zero in on Syrah from the coolest vineyard sites Santa Barbara County had to offer. He sought to make wines that emphasized elegance, acidity, and age-worthiness.
Lindquist Syrah is a textbook example of why Santa Barbara County excels with this grape. It offers richness and restraint. There’s enticing, savory flavors of blackberries, black cherries, cracked pepper, and violets. The aromas and tastes of violets happily pervade the entire drink. There’s a layering of smoked meat, olive tapenade, and dried herbs. It depth continually surprises without heaviness. It all feels peacefully composed.
This wine is best after it has been decanted for an hour. Decanting this makes all the difference.