TENSLEY WINES
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA 2017
This duo of Tensley 2017 single vineyards is stunning in more ways than one. The 96-point Syrah Tensley Vineyard and the 95-point Syrah Thompson Vineyard are further proof that Tensley creates some of the most impressive Syrahs from the New World, and both are available at up to 25% off. If you’re doing the math, that’s 9 years of bottle age, each, for just $60 per.
Jeb Dunnuck’s estimation of the 2017s was exuberant.
“A killer bottle of wine,” he declared the Tensley Vineyard, in his 96-point review, with "meaty, gamey notes of red and black fruits, toasted spice, cured meats, and dried pepper" that's "full-bodied and concentrated, with silky tannins and a great, great finish.” He loved the Thompson Vineyard 2017, too, a "seamless, beautifully textured” wine, he wrote, that's "drinking brilliantly already" but will "age effortlessly" with "15 years or more of longevity."
Both of these capture Joey Tensley's singular approach to Syrah: pure, intense, but never overdone. The two 2017s showcase different vineyard personalities while maintaining the unmistakable Tensley signature: wines that have enough gravitas for collectors but that are delicious enough (and ready enough) to crack open tonight.
If you know Tensley’s story, you’ll love these wines even more.
He decided on this career path at age 12 during his soccer team's trip to France, when touring a wine cave sparked something that would eventually reshape his entire life.
In the early '90s, at the start of his wine journey, he'd never even heard of Syrah, the wine that became his compass. And then he tasted a Syrah-Malbec blend, followed shortly by an Hermitage La Chapelle from Jaboulet that, as he puts it, changed his life. After working at Fess Parker, then taking assistant winemaker positions at Babcock and Beckmen, he started Tensley Wines in 1998 with just 100 cases.
His timing couldn't have been better. Rhône varietals were just taking off in America, and Tensley rode that wave while helping define what American Syrah could become. Food and Wine validated his vision, in 2008, selecting one of his wines as the “Top Syrah in America Over $20.”
Today, he produces 5,000 cases a year and proudly refuses to grow larger, maintaining the hands-on approach that launched him.
We love that, and we love him.
And we know that, if you aren’t already on the Tensley train, you’re going to fall hard for this estate and these delicious and distinctive wines. Get your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in CO, CT, FL, GA, KS, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OK, SC, TN & WA. This offer will expire on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026.