Moving father south, out of the Monterey and Santa Cruz regions, the daytime temperatures get warmer. Ocean breezes still have some cooling effect for the western part of the regions; to the east it gets warmer and drier. The character of these wines shifted away from more gamy, leathery elements towards brighter, redder fruit. Wines in this flight had generally softer tannins and balanced acidity, which made them very approachable, even though they were all quite young. The Syrah from Line Shack was the panel’s favorite, though it was a very close call, and J Lohr’s Syrah was the favorite among our invited guests.