Beckmen Vineyards
A longstanding property in Santa Barbara wine country, I first visited Beckmen Vineyards more than ten years ago on a trip with friends. Beckmen was started by Tom and Judy Beckmen who were pioneers in the electronic music business as founders of Roland Corp, US. The winery began back in 1994 as their wines have even been served at the White House.
Their estate vineyard is located in the BalÂlard Canyon AVA and is a 365 acre (125 acres plantÂed), cerÂtiÂfied BioÂdyÂnamÂic site named the PurisiÂma MounÂtain VineÂyard. ComÂprised mostÂly of clay and clay loam, with varyÂing amounts of gravÂel, this site also has limeÂstone subÂsoil. The new wines by Beckmen were really good across the board. I love the new fresh, polished and soft 2019 Beckmen Grenache (OB, 91) which is already nicely evolved and has a nice light citrus component. The 2019 Beckmen Syrah (OB, 93) is dense and beautifully textured with seriously good range. Learn more about this great Santa Barbara County winery at beckmenvineyards.com and here are my reviews of the new Beckmen wines.
2020 Ingredient Sauvignon Blanc- Sourced from the Pursima Mountain Vineyard, this was aged for ten months on the skins in amphora and then saw a year of bottle age prior to release. The wine comes off very sour and out of balance, with lemon pit, lime zest and white grapefruit, alongside some nutty undercurrents. Nicely textured, enjoy over the next several years. Drink 2022-2026- 88
2019 Ingredient Syrah- The 2019 Ingredient Syrah also saw ten months of skin contact, as a touch of Viognier (2.5%) was blended in. The palate is soft, inviting and very nuanced. Red cherry candy, red licorice, white pepper and smoky undertones all combine nicely, as the smooth texture adds to the enjoyment. Drink 2022-2029- 90
2020 Beckmen ‘Purisima Mountain’ Viognier- This 2020 Viognier reveals light flinty and silty tones alongside gooseberry and sweetened pear flavors with shades of honeysuckle. Medium-bodied, enjoy now. Drink 2022-2025- 89
2019 Beckmen ‘Purisma Mountain’ Grenache- Aged in 37% new French oak, this 2019 Grenache unveils red cherry candy and red florals on the nose with shades of kumquat rind. The palate is neatly textured with loads of bright red fruits, with a strong acid backbone. This is already nicely evolved stuff. Drink 2022-2029- 91
2020 Beckmen ’Cuvee le Bee’ Red Wine- A blend of mostly Syrah (51%) and Grenache (38%), the 2020 ‘Cuvee le Bee’ reveals medium-bodied black fruit flavors with smoke, leather and shades of garrigue on the palate. The level of mouth-watering acidity adds to the enjoyment. Enjoy this delicious, hard to put down value wine over the next several years. Drink 2022-2028- 91
2019 Beckmen ‘Purisma Mountain’ Syrah-The really good 2019 Beckmen ‘Purisma Mountain’ Syrah was aged in 37% new French oak prior to bottling and immediate gratifies with crushed green peppercorns and smoked meats on the nose, with black currant undertones. The palate is beautifully textured and inviting, loaded with mouth-watering acidity, salty stones and rich dark fruit flavors. Enjoy this beautiful and novel expression of Syrah over the next decade. Drink 2022-2032- 93
