Denner Vineyards "Dirt Worshipper" Syrah 2021
(Paso Robles, California) - [JD 98] [JS 97] [VM 96] [DM 95] [WA 94] [WE 93]

About the Winery:
Ron Denner built his state-of-the-art gravity flow winery on Vineyard Drive in Willow Creek in 2005 after spending several years developing the adjacent land from barley fields into vineyards.

Over the years, winemaker Anthony Yount made Denner into one of the great wineries of California through a combination of careful vineyard management (including dry-farming and organic practices) and non-interventionist winemaking. Today, Anthony continues his work at Denner as the consulting winemaker for head winemaker, Mark Williams.

In the cellar, Denner takes cues from the old world, working with a percentage of whole-cluster in his Rhone blends, relying on native yeasts for fermentation, and bottling their wines unfined and unfiltered. Of course, all of this is to translate, as faithfully as possible, the terroir of a great site, with Denner’s patchwork of calcareous clay vineyards soaring to more than 1,000 feet above sea level.

Tasting Notes:
Powerful aromas of violets, blueberries, sarsaparilla, Kalamata olive and wild mint exude from the glass. The midpalate is dripping with blackberry, hoisin, white pepper, Spanish chorizo and dark chocolate notes that evolve into a rich mouthfeel and stunningly long finish.

Varietal: 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, 1% Viognier

Appellation: Paso Robles

Acid: 6.1 g/l

pH: 3.64

Bottling Date: 5/3/23. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Alcohol %: 14.2

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2021 Dirt Worshipper is textbook Syrah magic with is peppery, gamey dark fruits, iron, tapenade, sandalwood, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier that was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 25% new French and Hungarian oak, it will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years, and I’d be happy to put this up with the best Syrahs out there." (May 2024)

97 Points - James Suckling:
"Potent and peppery, this blend of syrah from distinct vineyards in the central coast of California is haunting, earthy, smoky and mysterious. It offers grilled meat, black pepper, green peppercorn, espresso and star anise components that are fascinating and complex. 30% new oak is enhanced by a portion of Kadar Hungarian oak barrels. With 7% petit verdot, 4% graciano and 1% viognier. Best from 2028." (May 2024)

96 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul." - Eric Guido (Jul 2024)

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The Dirt Worshipper is a blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier, co-fermented, bringing in some pretty aromatics. The wine is aged 18 months in 29% new French and Hungarian oak 225L barrels, and 71% used 225L barrels—a fashionable red blend with bright floral aromatics, cranberry and black cherry fruit and cedarwood spices. Medium to full-bodied, sporting a deep core of earthy minerals infused with red-berry fruits and intricate, woven tannins that build with a crescendo of brambly berry fruit to a finish marked by a firm spine of acidity and nuanced expressive fine herbs, white pepper, clove, and dried rose petal florals. The intensity of the finish is downright exciting and surprising, leaving one immediately wanting another sip to see where it's going." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Dec 2023)

94 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is a co-fermented blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano and 1% Viognier. It comes from several California vineyards, including Duvarita, Bien Nacido, Slide Hill and Denner estate fruit. It has pretty aromas of cassis, cracked pepper, spearmint, violet and tar. The medium-bodied palate offers concentrated, mineral-driven fruit, a frame of powerful, rounded tannins and seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish." - Erin Brooks (Dec 2023)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Intense aromas of blueberry, charcoal and violet entertain the nose on this Syrah-based bottling that includes small bits of Petit Verdot, Graciano and Viognier. Blue and black fruit flavors are cleanly presented on the palate, with hints of lilac and a caramel finish completing the picture." - Matt Kettmann (Sep 2024)