Ex Post Facto Syrah Santa Barbara County 2018 (750ml)

 

Rated 94 Points by Vinous – Antonio Galloni

 

The 2018 Syrah Ex Post Facto is bold and beautiful.  Dark plum, blueberry, lavender, licorice and cloves give this dark sepia-toned Syrah much of its dark expression.  Time in the glass brings out hints of citrus and black pepper that brighten up the flavor profile nicely.  The 2018 has real depth and intensity, not to mention tons of character.  Greg Brewer gave the 2018 45-60 days on the skins, with virtually all whole clusters, followed by 18 months in barrel.  8/2020

 

Rated 94 Points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine

 

Slightly lighter in the glass than other Syrahs, this bottling is immensely savory, showing cracked pepper, crushed rocks, dried blackberry and black plum on a well-focused nose.  It’s very fresh on the palate, with snappy black raspberry and a dusting of white pepper, with warming hints of baking spice into the finish.

 

Rated 93 Points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

 

Made by Greg Brewer, the 2018 Syrah from Ex Post Facto was entirely whole-cluster fermented and aged in very old barrels.  It has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and pure scents of cassis, cedar, graphite and bay leaves with touches of milk chocolate and violets.  The palate is medium to full-bodied with Goldilocks ripeness and gently savory undertones, finely grained and fresh with a long finish.  925 cases produced.  10/2020

 

Ex Post Facto Syrah Santa Barbara County 2018

 

By Greg Brewer

 

Unbeknownst to many, Greg Brewer has been crafting seductive and compelling Syrah for 25 years.  It’s not Syrah through a Pinot Noir producer’s perspective; it is Syrah through the lens of experience in distinctive cool-climate Santa Barbara wine country.  The release of this vintage delivers the exacting texture and pleasure you have come to know.  Ex Post Facto, translated to mean “After the Fact”, encapsulates Greg’s slightly deviant desire to go outside his Brewer-Clifton paradigm to explore an outside muse.

 

Winemaker Notes

 

Syrah from a cold climate fascinates as it maintains lifted and perfumed aromatics that subsequently usher in tremendous fruit intensity.  Fermentation is carried out as whole clusters to further elevate those high tones of blue flowers and white peppers and to corset the fruit by resultant savory tannins.

 

Those tannins provide a tea-like architecture which offers tremendous length and a savory herb character to harmonize with virtually any dish.

 

 

Ex Post Facto Wines

 

A new project from Winemaker, Greg Brewer, Ex Post Facto breaks away from Greg’s Burgundian roots at Brewer-Clifton to explore a Rhône style wine from his beloved Santa Barbara County.  The origin of the name is from ex post facto law, “a law that makes illegal an act that was legal when committed.”  Ex Post Facto encapsulates Greg’s almost deviant desire to go outside his Brewer-Clifton paradigm to explore an outside muse.  Greg Brewer has been steadfastly wedded to Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the entirety of his career.  He has also worked with Syrah from the area beginning in 1993 and for decades thereafter working in the services of other wineries.  Ex Post Facto is an alteration of outcome for this Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer.

 

Welcome to Brewer-Clifton

 

We are committed to a finite stretch of land within the Sta. Rita Hills appellation even before we mapped and defined it some twenty years ago.  From our first working moments here in the early 1990’s, we have been lured and seduced by this magnificent wine growing area.  The pure crystalline sand soils under our feet and the salty air blowing continuously from the rugged nearby sea set an immediate hook from which we could never escape.

 

We remain steadfastly loyal to the stewardship of this land through our estate holdings, and are humbled to travel the globe sharing our story with colleagues, collectors and wine enthusiasts such as yourself.  We feel more motivated than ever before in the refinement of our craft and look forward to sharing our efforts with you for many decades to come.

 

Respectfully,

 

Greg Brewer, Founder & Winemaker

 

 

Rated 94 Points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine

 

Slightly lighter in the glass than other Syrahs, this bottling is immensely savory, showing cracked pepper, crushed rocks, dried blackberry and black plum on a well-focused nose.  It’s very fresh on the palate, with snappy black raspberry and a dusting of white pepper, with warming hints of baking spice into the finish.