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Tensley Wines

Joey Tensley, originally from Bakersfield, is a promising, wine maker who cut his teeth at some of the most prominent wineries in Santa Barbara County. After being smitten by winemaking during a trip to Bordeaux with his high school soccer team, Joey moved to Santa Barbara and after a few years at Alan Hancock College with no academic area drawing his attention, he dived head first, starting in the cellar at Fess Parker Winery in 1993. He is a member of the Brian Babcock-influenced group of young winemakers in the area. This school of thought, focuses on the vineyard, proclaiming: "Great wines are made in the vineyard". Having spent two years with Babcock as an Assistant Winemaker, he moved on to Beckmen Vineyards where he gained experience with Rhône varietals and launched his own label with a total production of 100 cases. He has been making vineyard-designated Syrah wines under his own label since, with total current production at 3,300 cases. He embodies the conjunction of street smarts, business savvy, an understanding of wine consumers and a passion about wine. Two things define Tensley wines: In Joey's words, his wines are "feminine wines, but with nice fruit and backbone" showing intense, complex character with deep extraction. Secondly, he applies the same winemaking methodology (but varying cooperage regimens) to the wines of different blends and from different vineyards but keeps them all at the same price point (even after receiving very scores from a certain ex-lawyer). With growth, he has added a white (Grenache Balnc and Roussanne) blend to his Syrah-based program. He sources his Syrah from Turner Vineyard, Colson Canyon Vineyard, Three Creek Vineyard, Thompson Vineyard and Tierra Alta Vineyard. In addition to his own label, Joey makes wines for Carina Cellars which has a broader lineup of wine varieties but share distinct style and characteristics with Tensley's namesake wines.

2005 Tensley Late harvest Syrah, Tierra Alta Vineyard, S.B. Cty 91 Points

2005 Tensley Syrah, Colson Canyon Vineyard, Santa Barbara Cty 90 Points

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	Home Wine U The Buzz Wine Reviews Review Archive Rating System Calendar Fun Stuff About Us Feedback Key Contacts FAQ	Wine Tasting Notes Tensley Wines Joey Tensley, originally from Bakersfield, is a promising, wine maker who cut his teeth at some of the most prominent wineries in Santa Barbara County. After being smitten by winemaking during a trip to Bordeaux with his high school soccer team, Joey moved to Santa Barbara and after a few years at Alan Hancock College with no academic area drawing his attention, he dived head first, starting in the cellar at Fess Parker Winery in 1993. He is a member of the Brian Babcock-influenced group of young winemakers in the area. This school of thought, focuses on the vineyard, proclaiming: "Great wines are made in the vineyard". Having spent two years with Babcock as an Assistant Winemaker, he moved on to Beckmen Vineyards where he gained experience with Rhône varietals and launched his own label with a total production of 100 cases. He has been making vineyard-designated Syrah wines under his own label since, with total current production at 3,300 cases. He embodies the conjunction of street smarts, business savvy, an understanding of wine consumers and a passion about wine. Two things define Tensley wines: In Joey's words, his wines are "feminine wines, but with nice fruit and backbone" showing intense, complex character with deep extraction. Secondly, he applies the same winemaking methodology (but varying cooperage regimens) to the wines of different blends and from different vineyards but keeps them all at the same price point (even after receiving very scores from a certain ex-lawyer). With growth, he has added a white (Grenache Balnc and Roussanne) blend to his Syrah-based program. He sources his Syrah from Turner Vineyard, Colson Canyon Vineyard, Three Creek Vineyard, Thompson Vineyard and Tierra Alta Vineyard. In addition to his own label, Joey makes wines for Carina Cellars which has a broader lineup of wine varieties but share distinct style and characteristics with Tensley's namesake wines. 2005 Tensley Late harvest Syrah, Tierra Alta Vineyard, S.B. Cty 91 Points 2005 Tensley Syrah, Colson Canyon Vineyard, Santa Barbara Cty 90 Points Back to top. Search our wine reviews archive by: review date, vintage and winery.	Get the buzz: Wine reviews Great stories Interviews Wine education tools New content every month It's FREE! Click here


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