Given the tiny production (250 cases total) and widespread popularity of the Sumu Kaw bottling, I was surprised—but thrilled—to get some to offer on SommSelect. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this wine, now in its ninth vintage, is a benchmark Californian Syrah, fermented using 100% whole grape clusters like many of the greats of the Northern Rhône. Although La Clarine Farm’s “home” vineyard is planted to an eclectic assortment of varieties—and was Demeter-certified biodynamic for a time—Beckmeyer also sources fruit from sustainable growers like David and Sheila Bush, who planted their first vines on the 20-acre Sumu Kaw site in 1994. In addition to Syrah, Sumu Kaw also includes many of the other Rhône varieties that have become an El Dorado/Sierra Foothills signature: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Marsanne, and Roussanne are all in the mix, along with Zinfandel and Nebbiolo.

And whether it’s fruit from his own vineyard or from someone else’s, Beckmeyer’s sincere desire is to do as little as possible to it en route to its becoming wine. On the farming side, he has been deeply influenced by a Japanese farmer/philosopher named Masunobu Fukuoka, whose writings focused on minimizing “inputs” in farming—even ‘natural’ ones—and creating a self-sustaining ecosystem of which the farmer is the caretaker. Beckmeyer, who translates Fukuoka’s philosophy as “don’t do anything unnecessary,” carries that thinking over to the winery, where he endeavors to “add nothing” to the process: no cultured yeast strains; no enzymes (to hasten color/flavor extraction); no sulfur during fermentation (and minimal amounts at bottling); no sterile filtration; no new oak. His fermentations occur spontaneously and slowly, often taking many months to complete, and in the case of the 2016 Sumu Kaw, grapes were foot-crushed and the wine aged in a combination of large, used “puncheons” and stainless steel tanks.

Combining bright, juicy fruit with lots of meaty, smoky notes, the 2016 Sumu Kaw Syrah is reminiscent of Northern Rhône Syrah from the high-elevation terraces of Saint-Joseph. It’s also a perfect example of why wine lovers are gravitating to naturally made wines like this: It feels alive and full of energy. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby moving to a slightly hazy magenta rim, with textbook Syrah aromas of blackberry, black currant, plums, lavender, grilled herbs, black pepper, and smoked meat. It is medium-bodied and lightly tannic, driven by freshness above all: La Clarine Farm wines often have a little trapped CO2 in solution when they’re young (it’s a valuable anti-oxidant when you want to minimize sulfur), which blows off quickly after a quick 15-30 minute decant. You can feel the wine come together and put on weight in the glass, with its plummy mid-palate giving way to a savory, floral, and mouthwatering finish. Although the fruit character is obviously much different, this wine has some kindred qualities to Tuscan Sangiovese and is exactly the kind of nervy red I want with steaks or burgers or maybe a tri-tip roast off the grill. The black pepper/mineral elements will meld perfectly with that beef, as the acidity cuts through the fat like a well-sharpened scythe. Give it some air, pour it at 55-60 degrees into Burgundy stems, and get a fresh perspective on California Syrah. It’s a game-changer!