California Exploration: Outward wines, Central Coast
Website: https://outwardwines.com/
Outward Wines is a partnership between Ryan Pace and Natalie Siddique, and I caught up with them to taste through their wines while they were hosting a vinyl and wine party at their winery warehouse in Grover Beach that they moved into in 2023.
They met through rock climbing. Natalie, who has Russian and Bangladeshi roots, is famous in the rock climbing world and started her own business (which she sold in 2018). Ryan’s family had a wine brand called Pace, and he studied at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo before joining Byron winery as a winemaker. Outward started with two barrels of Syrah from Ryan’s father’s backyard vineyard in Santa Ynez, but now this is their full time living. They make 13 different wines totalling around 2500 cases, all single vineyard and single variety, all from California’s Central Coast.
They farm 6 acres of vines ourselves and also source grapes from vineyards along the coast, with all organically farmed. Winery practice is low intervention: wild yeast ferments, neutral oak, no fining or filtration.
THE WINES
Outward Pet Nat of Pinot Gris Bassi Vineyard 2023 SLO Coast, California
Disgorged. Fruity and lively with nice texture to the sweet pear, apple and cherry fruit. Stylish and refined with some grapey detail. 91/100
Outward Sauvignon Blanc Presqu’ile Vineyard 2023 Santa Maria Valley, California
Picked mid-October. Lovely acidity with rounded pear and apple fruit. Shows nice energy and has a citrus drive. Good finesse and texture. 92/100
Outward Chenin Blanc Shell Creek 2023 Paso Robles Highland, California
From vines planted in 1971, own rooted, in soils with some limestone. Bright and fresh with good acidity. Juicy pear and lime fruit with a nice acid line. Has a stony, mineral edge with lovely precision. Stony and vivid with nice brightness. 92/100
Outward Valdigué Shell Creek 2023 Paso Robles Highland, California
Planted in the 1990s. Carbonic maceration. Juicy and bright with nice focus, showing raspberry fruit and some cherry. Light, pure and focused with nice energy. Such juiciness and purity. 93/100
Outward Gamay Presqu’ile Vineyard 2023 Santa Maria Valley, California
This is foot stomped and fermented with 30% whole cluster. Lovely herbal notes on the nose with nice energy and notes of pepper and herbs, and lots of spicy detail. The palate shows lovely peppery red cherry spicy notes and some herbaceous characters, and silky texture. 94/100
Outward Cabernet Sauvignon Massa Vineyard 2022 Carmel Valley, California
12% alcohol. This vineyard is at 1700 feet and was planted in 1968. It has been farmed organically since its inception, and is dry farmed. No new oak. Lovely energetic herb-tinged blackcurrant fruit with some herbal hints and olive and thyme notes. Fresh blackcurrant fruit on the palate, with amazing texture. 94/100
Outward Cabernet Franc Curtis Vineyard 2022 Santa Ynez Valley, California
This is from the top of a plateau. 50% whole bunch, at the bottom of the fermenter. Lovely olive notes with cherry and raspberry fruit. It’s ripe with some intriguing garrigue notes, good concentration and real energy. There’s a chalky edge to the textured palate. 94/100
Outward Syrah Backyard Vineyard 2017 Santa Ynez Valley, California
Mint, pepper and black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Nicely textured palate with ripe black fruits and some olive and pepper notes. Has breadth. 90/100
