2007 Santa Barbara County Blanc - 57% Grenache Blanc; 28% Roussanne; 15% Viognier - NEW RELEASE


All three varietals used in this blend come from a steep section of the Tierra Alta Vineyard which is located in Ballard Canyon. The Viognier was picked about two weeks before the other varietals and aged on its own.  The Grenache Blanc and Roussanne were aged together in neutral French oak barrels.  Malolactic fermentation was stopped halfway through on all these wines to retain freshness. The Viognier was added to the blend just prior to bottling.  Each varietal lends a unique character to this wine: the Grenache Blanc shines with crisp minerality; the Roussanne brings viscosity and tropical fruit while the Viognier lifts the nose and brings a distinctly floral character to the wine.
Price: $28.00
Cellar Club: $23.80
Cases Produced: 212

2006 Tierra Alta Grenache Blanc - SOLD OUT


This is Tensley's first 100% Grenache Blanc as well as Tierra Alta's first leaf of the plantings. Only one barrel of this wine was made, and the juice was fermented in that one neutral oak barrel. Joey stopped malolactic fermentation halfway through in order to retain the acidity and freshness of this unique varietal. This viscous wine shines with notes of pineapple, apricot and peach and alluring aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle. The residual sugar is 1%; alcohol is 12.9%. This wine is very appealing now and can also be aged for another three to five years.

Price: $28.00
Cellar Club Price: $23.80
Cases Produced: 25

2007 Lea Tierra Alta Vineyard Rosé - NEW RELEASE


Jennifer’s rosé is the only one we’re aware of in California to be made from single parcel, single vineyard Syrah grapes picked specifically to be rosé wine. Jennifer destemmed the grapes for this wine by gravity then crushed the grapes by foot with the help of four-year-old son, Oliver. After four hours of skin contact, the juice had achieved a beautiful, deep pink tone and was pressed to neutral French oak barrels where it aged for four months.
This rosé is full-bodied and completely dry. Look for notes of strawberries, raspberries, spice and rose petals. Pair with spicy, rich foods such as the Cajun cuisine of Jennifer’s native New Orleans or the Mexican food for which California has become well known.

Price: $20.00             
Cellar Club Price: $17.00            
Cases Produced: 200

2006 Lea Turner Vineyard Pinot Noir - SOLD OUT


It was clear from the moment this fruit arrived that it was going make great wine. Not that we should have expected any less given this vineyard’s ideal location in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. The berries were tiny, dark, and sweet with just the right streak of acid. The juice that flowed from our tiny basket press 14 days later was complex and pure. This wine shines with notes of plums, blackberries, and raspberries. It is earthy and spicy with a silky, rounded mouthfeel and a long, layered finish. While this Pinot Noir drinks beautifully now, it will be exciting to watch it evolve over the next 6 to 8 years.

Price: $38.00             
Cellar Club Price: $32.00            
Cases Produced: 50

2006 Colson Canyon Grenache. - SOLD OUT

This is Tensley’s first 100% Grenache, and the only Grenache produced from the Colson Canyon Vineyard.  It is made in the exact same fashion as all of our Syrahs.  Thirty percent of the grapes are left as whole clusters while the rest are destemmed by gravity.  The wine is then punched down by hand three times a day for 21 days and pressed straight to neutral French oak barrels.  The result is a bright, fruit-driven, and spicy wine that resonates with rich notes of black and red cherries.  Pair this wine with spicy ribs and age it for the next 7 to 9 years.

Price: $32.00
Cellar Club: $27.20
Cases Produced: 47

2006 Santa Barbara County Syrah

This year’s Santa Barbara County Syrah is made up of 13% Colson Canyon Vineyard fruit and 87% Clover Creek Vineyard fruit. Located on Refugio Road near the Santa Ynez River, the Clover Creek vineyard has warm days but fog-influenced, cool nights - an ideal situation for growing big, jammy Syrah. This wine is dense and inky purple with big red and black fruit and a hint of pepper on the finish. While this Syrah is drinking beautifully now, it will continue to evolve over the next 3 to 5 years.

Price: $25.00
Cellar Club Price: $21.25
Cases Produced: 200

2006 Turner Vineyard Syrah. - SOLD OUT

Turner remains Tensley’s only cool climate Syrah, and just as it did last year, this wine brings a unique flavor profile to our line-up. The Turner is bright with mouthwatering notes of raspberry and blueberries balanced by a deep, peppery core and hints of licorice and charcoal. It has a lush texture yet still shows great acidity and aging potential (8 to 10years). This wine will easily pair with a wide variety of foods from heartier chicken dishes to bold, meaty entrees. 

Price: $38.00
Cellar Club Price: $32.30
Cases Produced:23

2006 Tierra Alta Vineyard Syrah - SOLD OUT

Our parcel within this volcanic ash based vineyard comes from a steep hillside planted entirely to the 99 Syrah clone. This clone is known for its enticing nuances of minerals and earth, and you can certainly taste them in this bottling.  The 2006 vintage is dark ruby/purple with aromas of coffee, flowers and chocolate and an intense, full-bodied core of black currant.  The finish is long and elegant.  Drink this wine now or let it evolve over the next ten years.

Price: $38.00
Cellar Club Price: $32.30
Cases Produced: 203

2006 Thompson Vineyard Syrah - SOLD OUT

2006 is our ninth vintage of Thompson Syrah, and it seems the fruit from this vineyard just keeps getting better.  Planted in 1990 to the renowned Estrella clone, Thompson continually produces low yields and exquisite fruit. Pure, subtle, and intricately layered, this year’s Thompson boasts flavors of blackberries, blueberries, and crushed rocks and strikes a beautiful balance between depth and freshness.  This wine is always an excellent choice for aging and will easily last out the next 12 years.

Price: $38.00
Cellar Club Price: $32.30
Cases Produced: 143

2006 Three Creek Vineyard Syrah

This organically farmed vineyard is located in the warm and rocky Happy Canyon area. As you’d expect of a wine grown in such rugged terrain, this Syrah is muscular and meaty. But the 2006 vintage is also bursting with a deep, rich core of black and red fruits and a streak of crème de cassis. While this wine is very appealing now, its firm tannic structure makes it one that can age for the next 10 to 15 years.    Try pairing this wine with simple meat dishes.  We’re sure you won’t be disappointed.

Price: $38.00
Cellar Club Price: $32.30
Cases produced:241

2006 Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah


Our Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah is the backbone of the Tensley Wines program. As in 2005. more than half of our production comes from this highly sought-after vineyard.  As always, the Colson Canyon is the only one of our wines to see any new oak.  This vintage was aged in 20% new and 20% one-year-old French barrels to add a bit of sweet toast and vanilla to the finish of this already complex wine.  Saturated and ruby/black, the Colson is rich in jammy fruit, chocolate and pepper yet maintains its integrity as a balanced wine by harmoniously integrating tannin and acitdity.  Drink this wine now or age it up to 15 years.

Price:$38.00
Cellar Club Price:$32.30
CasesProduced:1779

2006 OGT Syrah - SOLD OUT
50% Colson Canyon; 25% Thompson; 25% Tierra Alta

After tasting numerous blends, we once again decided on a 50% Colson Canyon Syrah 25% Thompson Syrah and 25% Tierra Alta Syrah blend. As always the Colson brings weight and extraction to the equation while the Thompson shines with acidity and the Tierra Alta rounds out the fruit and mid palate. Most of you know Tensley was built on single parcel wines, but when we decided to name a wine for our son we realized his personality was too complex to be portrayed by a single lot.  We brought in some Colson to highlight Oliver’s gregariousness and rich imagination, some Thompson to reflect his quick wit, and some Tierra Alta to round out the whole picture.  Our final blend is a fruit forward wine that is rich and viscous in the mouth.  Its long, complex finish testifies to the age worthiness of this Syrah which should develop beautifully over the next 7 to 12 years.   

Magnum bottles
Price:$85.00
Cellar Club Price: $72.25
Cases Produced: 122

2006 BMT Syrah
50% Three Creek; 25% Colson Canyon; 25% Colson Canyon Grenache. - SOLD OUT

We also decided to keep the blend the same for this year’s BMT Syrah. The 50% Three Creek Syrah, 25% Colson Canyon Syrah, and 25% Colson Canyon Grenache blend beautifully reflects the charm and complexity of our niece, Bailey Michelle Tensley.  The Three Creek Syrah, bold and flavorful, reminded us of Bailey’s sense of fun and adventure while the Colson Canyon’s licorice and pepper brought to mind her sassier side.  The Grenache, lovely and elegant, perfectly portrays our niece as she grows into a beautiful and confident young woman.  This wine is aromatic and jammy with rich notes of black cherry and blackberry interwoven with nuances of anise, chocolate and smoke.  Full-bodied and powerful this wine is sure to age well over the next 10 years.

Magnum bottles
Price:$85.00
Cellar Club Price: $72.25
Cases Produced: 117

2005 Three Creek Vineyard Syrah

Located in the Happy Canyon area, this warm, rocky vineyard is meticulously farmed using strict organic practices. The result is a low yield and very pure, extracted fruit. Look for full, round flavors of ripe currant, anise and lavender with an undercurrent of earth and crushed rocks. I’m sure you can hold this wine for 8 to 10 years, but if you like the weight and power you might want to start drinking it young and watch it evolve over time. While this is our first vintage of this wine, we have been very impressed and look forward to a long and (pardon the pun) fruitful future together.

Price: $38.00
Cellar Club Price: $32.30
Cases produced:241