Syrah, or also commonly known as Shiraz is one of the darkest thick and full-bodied wine filled with aromatic hints of blueberry, blackberry, and some spicy peppery notes. Primarily grown in France, you can easily find a bottle throughout Australia, Spain, Italy, Chile, and Argentina.
First, a magnum of 1964 Hermitage La Chapelle from Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Lucid in hue, it sports modest bricking on the rim. Its initial tightness on the nose soon disappears to re..." Learn More
One of the all-time great La Moulines, this still youthful and unevolved wine does not have the tannic ferocity of the 1988, or the sheer force and intensity of the 1978, 1976, and..." Learn More
Deep purple-colored, with grilled meat and smoky, barbecue-like aromas beginning to emerge, along with lavishly ripe scents of black plums and cassis, the 1988 La Turque is not qui..." Learn More
The 1989 Le Pavilion is a prodigious wine. Made from yields of 14 hectoliters per hectare, this parcel of old vines (averaging 70-80 years of age) has produced an opaque black/purp..." Learn More
The 1990 Hermitage is fully mature yet holding beautifully. Perfumed notes of sweet cassis and blackberry fruits, rose hips, smoked meats, and exotic spices all flow to a full-bodi..." Learn More
I’ve been lucky enough to drink probably a case of the 1990 Hermitage La Chapelle, and it’s always either rated pure perfection or just off that magical number. On this occasio..." Learn More
Still a youngster, the blockbuster 1995 Ermitage le Pavillon is a quintessential Hermitage in every way. Full-bodied, powerful, thick and unctuous, with tons of smoky, black, black..." Learn More
The 1995 Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin is another magical wine from this family estate that’s drinking brilliantly today. Its vivid ruby, semi-opaque color (classic mature Hermitage) ..." Learn More
I was less impressed with the 1996 Cote Rotie La Mordoree from bottle than I was from cask. Michel Chapoutier still believes it is one of the finest examples he has produced, but a..." Learn More
Tasted with Jean-Louis Chave in his cellars in Mauves. This vintage included a proportion of botrytised grapes, a growing rarity these days on Hermitage due to the increasingly hot..." Learn More
Reticent, minerally nose hints at great sweetness and ripeness; notes of blackberry and tar emerge with aeration. Round, rich and layered in the mouth; still quite closed but the w..." Learn More
A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one..." Learn More
The 1999 Cote Rotie La Turque reveals notes of toasty vanilla and espresso in addition to Asian spices, mocha, pepper, blackberries, creosote, and roasted meats. The exotic perfume..." Learn More
Chave’s 2000 Cuvée Cathelin was monumental. It was a privilege to taste, but also a shame to open so early. If the 1991 seemed young, the 2000 came across as a veritab..." Learn More
Deep, bright ruby-red. Superripe aromas of beefsteak tomato, gunflint and smoke, with a medicinal austerity lurking behind the wine’s roasted elements. Fat, dense and full; a..." Learn More
This was Chapoutier’s initial microcuvée of Hermitage, bottled for the first time in 1989. The 2004 version is smoky and gamy, accented by pepper and a hint of rhubarb, but ..." Learn More
Lastly, from the very dome of the granite hill of Ermitage is the 2005 Ermitage l’Ermite. An extraordinarily powerful wine that probably needs 10-15 years in the bottle (last..." Learn More
The deepest colored of the lineup, as well as the most powerful and concentrated, the 2006 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is Hermitage-like with its dark, meaty core of fruit, iodine, cho..." Learn More
Showing more minerality than the le Meal, yet more plushness and sexiness than the l’Ermite, the 2006 Ermitage le Pavillon is a tour de force that gives up sensational notes of c..." Learn More
The 2008 Syrah is a big, expressive wine loaded with varietal character. Iron, minerals, bacon fat and blackberries are just some of the nuances that blossom in this striking wine...." Learn More
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 Astralis presents a very fruity, floral nose with lifted notes of blueberries. The palate is concentrated with a slight prune character and ha..." Learn More
Another perfect wine is the 2009 Cote Rotie La Turque. It possesses a slightly denser purple color than the opaque Cote Rotie La Mouline as well as notes of Asian spices, roasted m..." Learn More
Every bit as phenomenal as the ’10, yet in a completely different style, the 2009 Hermitage Ex Voto reveals a saturated inky color as well as layers of plums, black raspberri..." Learn More
Bold and complex, this Syrah opens with intense, superrich notes of chocolate fudge, maraschino cherry, tobacco, sweet spice and rum cake. Smooth, elegant and persistent, this amaz..." Learn More
The greatest Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert since the magnificent 1990 is the 2009. Jaboulet has nearly 100 acres in this appellation, and the 2009, which is bursting with p..." Learn More