The 7 Best Syrahs From California to Buy Now in 2026

At their family winery, brothers Nick and Andy Peay along with Nick’s wife Vanessa Wong grow 34 acres of Pinot Noir, eight acres of Syrah, and seven acres of Chardonnay. We love their Syrah and wish they made more at Peay, which is certified organic, fish friendly, and use biodiesel and solar energy. Their 2022 is sourced from the La Bruma vineyard and has aromas of juniper, crushed violet, and blackberry. It is full bodied in the mid palate with juicy tannins and flavors of black raspberry, black plum, and blueberry.

On California’s Central Coast Tom Stolpman found a limestone rich plot of land that had unobstructed wind from the Pacific Ocean, which he felt would be perfect to grow both Syrah and Roussanne. His team continues to preserve the natural environment whenever possible and farms organically, dry, and sustainably. This beautiful Syrah has aromas of black olive tapenade, underbrush, and black plum with lifted notes of menthol and peppermint. Juicy but sturdy tannins support flavors of ripe black, red, and blue fruits and freshly ground black pepper.

John Shafer released his first Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978, and it was well received by consumers and critics. His son Doug took over the position of winemaker in 1983 and brought in Elias Fernandez as his assistant. Doug has since stepped down and Fernandez is now the head winemaker. His 2022 Relentless Syrah is inky purple in the glass and has aromas of smoked meats, blueberry, and black pepper. Flavors of plum, dark chocolate, and blueberry are supported by sturdy, yet silky tannins and the finish goes on for what seems like days.

Although Ehren Jordan and Anne-Marie Failla’s Sonoma winery is best known for its cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, we’re still enamored with its limited-production Syrah. Failla’s 2023 is made from grapes grown in the Fort Ross-Seaview Estate Vineyard and it has enticing aromas of plum, black berry, blueberry, and dried lavender. Full bodied in the mid palate, it has ripe fruit flavors of blueberry, crushed violet candies, and black raspberry.

Considered to be one of the first biodynamically farmed vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Beckmen ferments and ages its wines using small lots of grapes in order to focus on the individuality of each block. This vintage is made from 100 percent Syrah grapes grown in their Purisima Mountain vineyard. It introduces itself with aromas of black plum, white pepper, and cedar box and then transitions on the palate to flavors of ripe black fruits, freshly cracked black pepper, and a touch of sandalwood incense in the finish.

Justin Baldwin left a lucrative banking career and founded his eponymous Paso Robles winery in 1981. His goal was to make wines that could stand up to the best of Bordeaux and to that end he visited France on numerous occasions to learn more. Justin is well known for its Margaux-influenced Isosceles and Cheval Blan- influenced Justification, which we like, but we happened to be big fans of this Justin 2023 Syrah. It has aromas of blueberry, black raspberry, and finely ground black pepper and flavors of crushed violet petal, mocha, black plum, and black olive.

Co-founders Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty chose the moniker PlumpJack in 1992 when they started their first wine shop in San Francisco. Named for the merry, wine loving Shakespearian character Sir John Plump Jack Falstaff the concept was to make wine more approachable and fun. The original winery that now houses PlumpJack dates back to the 1800s and is more known for its fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon, but this excellent Syrah deserves merit on its own. It is inky purple in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberry, and violet. Full bodied in the palate it has flavors of black raspberry, blueberry, and finely ground black pepper.