Shiraz/Syrah Wines

wines

The 2010 Hermitage Ex Voto continues to top out on my scale. This extraordinary Hermitage has more minerality and delineation than the 2009, as well as overflowing aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, graphite and wood smoke. Massively concentrated, full-bodied, decadent, layered and sexy, it needs short-term cellaring but should be just about immortal in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis has lavish range, with intense steeped plum, anise, pain d’épices, singed apple wood and fruitcake notes layered together, framed by smoldering charcoal and sweet tobacco accents and riveted to a tarry spine. Expands like a fractal in the glass to display enormous depth and length. Features mouthwatering cut from start to finish despite the heft. An extremely impressive wine that will need some time to stretch out fully. Best from 2018 through 2040. 600 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSInky purple. A wild, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, incense, olive paste and smoky minerals. Sweet, penetrating and pure, offering palate-staining boysenberry and cassis flavors and suggestions of candied licorice and fruitcake. Densely packed yet lively, finishing with remarkable power and smooth tannins that add shape and grip.Vinous Media | 95 VM

First made in 2000 and from the Coccinelle Vineyard (planted in 1998), Christophe’s Bionic Frog always reminds me of a top flight Cote Rotie, which seems to be quite a bit different than the idea most people have about the wine, some of whom I doubt have actually tasted it. In this case, the 2011 Syrah Bionic Frog fits right into this profile and possesses an essence of blackberry and black cherry core of fruit, as well as additional notions of pepper, bacon, mineral and toasted spice on the nose. Harvested on the 13th of October, this full-bodied effort has gorgeous purity of fruit, big structure and an amazingly focused, detailed texture. Savory and chewy on the finish, it will require 3-4 years in the cellar and thrill for 20+ years. Drink 2016-2031.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RP(13.8%; picked on October 8 and 13, after Baron dropped an additional 20% of his crop in mid-July since the season was three weeks behind; he also did a saignée of another 20% and vinified with 80% whole clusters): Bright, dark red with ruby tones. High-pitched notes of spices, herbs and African violet lift the perfumed aromas of blackberry, boysenberry and huckleberry. Initially surprisingly creamy in the mouth for a wine from such a cool year, combining a sexy sweetness with lovely pepper and lavender lift. This wonderfully perfumed, precise wine is neither hard nor green. Most impressive today on the perfumed, rising, very long finish, which offers superb saline complexity, a subtle note of purple sage and outstanding peppery lift, with the tannins firm but not hard. A wonderfully scented wine from a very cool, late season; Baron told me that there were only three afternoons during the summer with temperatures above 90 degrees. (I should note that in my visits to Walla Walla in late June and July over the last three or four years, I’ve probably enjoyed no more than three afternoons with temperatures under 90.)Vinous Media | 94 VMLong-time admirers of this wine may find the 2011 version a bit thin. It’s a more subtle wine than is customary, the expressive funk subsumed below lighter layers of peat moss, sea salt and white chocolate. With decanting, scents of shittake mushroom, duck sauce and even chicken broth swirl up from the glass, with black tea flavors running through the tannins. Quite good, yet somewhat muted.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2011 Syrah is an outstanding wine that evokes the elegance of the Rhone Valley with that of the Rhone Ranger in California. But it also shows a true Tuscan heart with warm climate tones of ripe blackberry and spice. The wine’s appearance is inky black and its long list of aromas include cured meat, barbecue spice, grilled herb, black mineral and blackberry pie. There’s even a balsamic note of cola or rosemary oil that pops at the end. You can count on a long drinking window with this gorgeous Syrah. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.Stefano Frascolla and Tua Rita have almost single-handedly put Suvereto on Italy’s winemaking map. His latest releases are nothing short of spectacular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2011 Syrah is striking in its beauty. Despite the warm, precocious vintage, the 2011 screams with varietal character as expressed in Maremma. A wine of pure volume and breadth, the 2011 is going to be a lot of fun to follow. As of this tasting, the 2011 has just been bottled, so it is quite likely the wine will show even better in another 6-12 months.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGFascinating aromas of violets, blue slate and crushed raspberries. Full body, polished and silky tannins and a fruity, lightly wooded aftertaste. Needs time to come together, but already delicious. Better in 2015.James Suckling | 93 JS

The dark ruby, opaque 2012 Syrah en Chamberlin Vineyard is a classic example of this vineyard. Gamy, complex and nuanced, with lots of olive tapenade, ground herbs, charcoal and wood smoke, as well as a beautiful core of dark fruit, it has full-bodied richness, building tannin, and a light, elegant texture. One of the more approachable 2012s from Christoph, it still doesn’t lack for tannic grip. It offers plenty of pleasure now, but should have 15 years or more of longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAromatically this wine is not yet entirely ready to reveal its charms, with reserved notes of mineral, smoked meat, olive brine, fire pit, peat and crushed flowers. The generous earth and savory flavors feel rich and full, leading to a lengthy finish.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEMedium bright red, a bit less saturated than the Cailloux and en Cerise. Extravagant varietally expressive aromas of raspberry, charred meat and duck fat. Dense, thick and plump but also quite firm, with multidimensional flavors of raspberry, blackberry, black cherry and licorice saturating the palate and building slowly on the very long back end. Boasts a lovely restrained sweetness, as well as more lift than some recent decadent vintages for this bottling.Vinous Media | 94+ VMTapenade, sassafras and tarry aromatics and flavors combine to give this richly decadent style extra depth, centering on black cherry fruit at the core. Has great presence and a distinctive profile. Drink now through 2022. 349 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is phenomenal with aromas of walnuts, meat, dark fruits and spices. Full body, soft and silky tannins, and a long finish. This shows subtle and intense character. So succulent and savory. Sweet fruit, yet salty. 400 cases. Drink now.James Suckling | 98 JSThe wine that probably gets ignored, but shouldn’t be, is their small production of 350-400 cases of Syrah from their estate vineyard. The 2012 IX Syrah Estate blew me away, and I’ve said many times that it always tastes as if it’s co-fermented with Viognier, but it is always 100% Syrah. It has a honeysuckle, flowery, almost white/peachy component in the blackberry and meaty aromatics that always throw me off. The wine is aged in small oak, but the oak is concealed by the lavish amount of fruit, glycerin and extract. This is a super-intense, massive, yet elegant and complex Syrah that should drink well for 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2012 Syrah IX Estate is a step up over the 2007 and has a medium to full-bodied, ripe, sexy style as well as complex aromatics of darker berries, ground pepper, smoked game, and hints of bloody meat. It’s perfectly balanced and drinking at point today.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD(75% new oak): Bright saturated ruby. Extremely primary aromas of dark berries and violet, with a touch of reduction. Thick, very ripe and sweet, with some exotic oak notes (Colgin uses Damy and François Frères barrels plus a bit of Hermitage) currently dominating the wine’s fruit and spice flavors. A distinctly saline style with a note of black olive, this young Syrah appears to be going through a sullen stage, showing more depth of texture than flavor definition today. The toothcoating tannins will require patience.Vinous Media | 94 VMBroodingly dark in color, this red combines power and finesse. Dusty dried currant and wild sage aromas open to plush, complex flavors of blackberry, toasty vanilla and dark licorice. Shows momentum toward the ripe tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2027. 440 cases madeWine Spectator | 93 WS

More gamy, bloody and meaty than the Sur Echalas Vineyard Syrah, the 2012 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard is a full-bodied, elegant, concentrated and structured effort that gives up complex notes of savory dark fruits, beef blood, dried herbs, pepper and olives. It’s another incredible Syrah that needs short-term cellaring, but will have two decades of evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPAn aromatic tour de force, this perfumed wine offers hypnotic notes of flowers, green olive, asparagus, sea breeze, mineral, peat, smoke flowers and an earthy funk, showing layers of complexity. The palate’s lithe frame belies the richness of the smoke, fire pit and grilled meat flavors that linger.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WESupple and expressive, with plum and currant flavors and stony overtones combining with hints of black olive and white pepper, adding depth to a distinctive profile on a medium-weight frame that punches above its weight. The deft balance plays against nubby tannins. Drink now through 2025. 463 cases made. Wine Spectator | 95 WS(14.1% alcohol; as with the Echalas Vineyard, the Tribe is cultivated with draft horses): Dark ruby. Aromas of black cherry, liquefied lamb tartare, paprika and black licorice, plus a note of medicinal reserve. Hugely sweet and concentrated but carrying a good bit of unabsorbed CO2 and showing less finesse today than the Cayuse Syrah bottlings from the 2012 vintage. Inky and primary, with strong underlying minerality. This is distinctly Brune while the Echalas Syrah is more Blonde. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and a slight bitter edge that will require cellaring.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

Layers of inky, black fruit, grilled herbs, smoke, menthol and melted road tar are all layered together in the 2012 Syrah. Deep, fleshy and explosive in the glass, the Syrah is endowed with marvelous complexity and depth while remaining remarkably light on its feet for such a big wine. Hints of lavender, violets, leather and blueberry jam inform the finish. In 2012, the Syrah benefits greatly from longer macerations at lower temperatures and an overall gentler approach to extraction. The 2012 Syrah has been nothing short of remarkable on the multiple occasions I have tasted it so far.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGTua Rita makes some of the finest Syrah in Italy and the 2012 Syrah Per Sempre confirms this statement. This is a fabulous wine that is brimming with dark fruit intensity, beautifully polished spice, leather, tobacco and a playful touch of smoked bacon fat at the back. The wine delivers an exciting sense of momentum and it builds in character and determination as it glides over the palate. This gorgeous wine needs a few more years of bottle aging to complete its promising evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAromas of dried meats, light strawberry jam and dried fruits, like Christmas pudding. Full body with round, ripe tannins and plenty of chocolate, vanilla and spice on the finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA dense, full-bodied red, this opens with aromas of blackberry jam, vanilla, oak and a whiff of herbs. The robust palate delivers fleshy black cherry, cracked black pepper, licorice and tobacco alongside velvety tannins. You’ll also the notice the heat of evident alcohol, especially on the close, which throws it somewhat off-balance.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Brought up in a scant 15% new puncheons, the 2013 Syrah en Cerise is a beautifully layered, elegant, yet focused and concentrated Syrah that really needs 2-3 years of bottle age to strut its stuff. Black cherries, raw steak, violets and pepper all emerge from this full-bodied, balanced, classic Syrah from one the top winemakers in the US.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPBroad and supple, this open-textured version is powerful and expressive without weight. Plum, cherry, tobacco and orange peel flavors float over beautifully modulated tannins into the long, seamless finish. Drink now through 2023. 376 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe aromas pop with notes of funk, smoked meat, red fruit, flowers, stems and orange peel. It’s compact out of the gate with concentrated, tightly wound, salty flavors of olive brine, crushed rock and violets. It shows an exquisite sense of balance and a crazy long finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEHealthy dark red. Musky, Old World scents of bloody steak, minerals, olive tapenade, wild herbs and soy sauce. Densely packed and sweeter in the early going than the En Chambertin, with notes of spices and peat moss that reminded me of a Côte de Nuits wine. Pliant in texture but still quite reserved--and not at all a sweet style. The tannins are a bit youthfully tough and a bit less noble than those of the 2012 version, but this distinctly savory wine is dense and deep. The rocky character of this very stony vineyard really comes through in 2013.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

Another perfect wine from this incredible team is the 2013 Syrah IX Estate, and this world-class example of the variety will stand up to anything out there. Deep purple-hued with a mammoth-sized bouquet of blueberries, smoked meats, violets, game, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s a gorgeous wine in every way. I think it’s right in the middle of its prime drinking window, where it should hold for another decade, with a gradual decline after that.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAmazing aromas of cracked black pepper, smoked meat and blueberries. Blue slate. Full body, iodine, spice, crushed black fruit, and black pepper. Polished and velvety. Glorious. Why wait to drink this? Yet it has a bright future in the bottle.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2013 Syrah IX Estate may turn out to be better. It’s not as complex from a nuanced standpoint as the 2012, but it has possibly greater intensity than its sibling. Its blackberry fruit, charcoal, acacia flowers, grilled meats and beef tartare notes are all beautifully presented in a pure, succulent, opulent style. This is amazing sTuff, and a great example of a singular style of Syrah from Napa Valley. Drink now-2028.Robert Parker | 98 RP(75% new oak): Saturated deep ruby. Brooding, primary aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, violet and licorice. Wonderfully tactile and chewy, showing more definition and detail today than the 2012 version in spite of its extreme youthfulness. Succulent purple fruit and spice flavors are complicated by a brisket-like meaty element I also found in the 2007 bottling at this tasting. At once bright and thick, this utterly seamless Syrah finishes with substantial dusty tannins and outstanding length.Vinous Media | 96 VMDeep and powerfully complex, with an enticingly supple texture. Aromas of blueberry, chunky chocolate and smoky herb combine with layered flavors of huckleberry, cracked pepper and licorice, lingering toward big but plush tannins. Drink now through 2028. 480 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Another beautiful wine in the vintage is the 2013 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard. Lighter in color than the 2014, it gives up distinctly northern Rhone-like aromas and flavors of salted bacon, fireplace soot, black olive and beef blood. Very savory, with medium to full-bodied richness, integrated acidity and a great finish, it needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years, at which point it will keep for two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis wine opens with aromas of earthy funk, steak tartare, potpourri, pepper and earth, showing outrageously minerality. The flavors are dense and textured, leaning hard into the savory with abundant flower and fire pit notes that linger effortlessly. It’s a very cerebral wine but with no shortage of hedonism.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAromas of raspberry, brown spices, flint, cocoa powder and chocolate pudding are lifted by a high note of white pepper; this is just 13% alcohol. Wonderfully fine-grained and light on its feet, with Côte-Blonde-like peppery lift to its flavors of redcurrant, herbs and spices. Great subtle sweetness and inner-mouth perfume here, and there’s more than enough red fruit to support the wine’s 80% whole-cluster component. Finishes saline and fairly tannic, in need of patience. A beauty in the making.Vinous Media | 94 VMBroad and expressive, floating like a big balloon over lightly grippy tannins, with earthy plum and spice flavors at the core. Finishes with a strong meaty note. Drink now through 2023. 267 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Just ever so slightly richer and more textured than the Sur Echalas Vineyard, the 2013 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard is a blockbuster effort that is up there with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Concentrated, full-bodied, sexy and layered on the palate, it has to-die-for notes of black cherries, currants, olives, steak tartare and Hermitage-like scorched earth characteristics. Like the other 2013s here, it needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will have two decades of longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis wine is aromatically brooding but precise, with notes of umami, black olive, smoked ham, crushed violets, funk and peat. The flavors are hefty and concentrated—with notes of fire pit and wet stone—while showing earth-shaking depth and intensity. The finish stretches out as long as you care to count. This is a complete knee buckler.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WESupple, complex, open-textured and refined, with bacon and black olive overtones to the plum and currant flavors, finishing with harmony and precision. Has depth and refinement. Drink now through 2023. 470 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(from vines planted 3,555 to the acre, next door to Christophe Baron’s En Chamberlin vineyard): Highly nuanced aromas of cherry, raspberry, smoked meat, charcoal and black licorice. Tightly wound and showing little early sweetness; an extremely backward Syrah in a decidedly Côte Brune style, with savory mineral and steak tartare notes holding the upper hand over primary dark fruits in the early going. Finishes with dusty tannins and strong salinity. This wine has a pH of 4.1, according to Baron, but I would nevertheless describe it as very young. Still, will it ever show the sweetness of the 2012 version?Vinous Media | 93 VM

A very complex and complete nose with everything so integrated and beautifully judged. There are ripe blackberries, blood plums, fragrant spices, dark stones and roasted coffee, to name just some of what is already on offer here. The palate has such richness and such build and layering with ripe dark plums and blackberries, clothed in robes of spice-laden, velvety tannins in a majestic mode. Pure class and a great vintage for sure. One of the best ever. Best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Côte Rôtie La Mouline has closed down substantially since I tasted it from barrel, yet it’s nevertheless a magical wine in the making. Sporting a deep, saturated purple color as well as a monster bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and hints of flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a focused, tight, backward vibe that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2015 Cote Rotie La Mouline contains the most Viognier of any of Guigal’s La Las: 11%. That tends to make it more open and approachable when young, but the 2015 seemed closed at the time of my visit. Cedar and vanilla frame mixed berries in a full-bodied, plush wine that somehow never seems heavy. It shows great elegance and length, and I’m confident the complexity it showed at earlier tastings will reemerge with a few years in the bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPOpaque, bright-rimmed ruby. Expansive, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, incense, bacon fat, olive, mocha and pungent flowers are accented by an exotic Moroccan spice nuance. Sappy and deeply concentrated and energetic on the palate, offering vibrant boysenberry, black raspberry, olive paste, smoked meat, five-spice powder and violet pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of minerality. Supple, gently gripping tannins build steadily a floral- and mineral-driven finish that hangs on with resonating spiciness and superb tenacity.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is packed with notes of red and black currant preserves, raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction at the core. A long way from opening, as the fruit is encased in layers of singed alder, warm earth and smoldering tobacco. A singed iron spine girds the finish. Should offer a gorgeous display of fruit when this develops fully. Best from 2025 through 2045. 88 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis has the perfume and aromatic lift you would want from the Côte-Blonde, incense and star anise, intense, fresh and vibrant, combined with plentiful oak spice. The tannins are tight, a little drying, delivering a slightly pinched feel on the palate, but the finish is long, and the tannins are exceptionally fine. Good sense of purity to the fruit. Fermented in stainless steel, 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking Window 2025 - 2033Decanter | 95 DEC

A perfect wine in every way, the 2015 Côte Rôtie La Turque comes from an incredible terroir on the Côte Brune and includes 7% Viognier. Stylistically, it normally fits between the more ripe, exuberant La Mouline and the more austere, tannic La Landonne. A deep purple color is followed by extraordinary notes of spring flowers, crushed violets, vanilla bean, and cured meats. This gives way to a full-bodied Côte Rôtie that has a stacked mid-palate, lots of ripe, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. Syrah, or red wine for that matter, doesn’t get any better! Hats off to the Guigal family for another magical wine. Give bottles 6-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDLike the La Mouline, the 2015 Cote Rotie La Turque comes across as slightly closed—I wouldn’t be surprised to see it inch up to a perfect rating in a decade or so. Lashings of ground spices—pepper, allspice, cardamom—are sprinkled over mixed berries, but this full-bodied wine is locked up tight, finishing with firm tannins. Give it at least 5-6 years, maybe even a decade or so, before pulling a cork.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDark plum, boysenberry and fig fruit is steeped with notes of anise, black tea, ganache and roasted apple wood. A warm cast iron spine drives the finish, pulling all the components together along the way. Delivers serious cut and drive, holding a deep well of fruit in reserve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 88 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe personality of this wine is in full, flamboyant flight in 2015 with such expressive aromas of fragrant spices, roses and violet flowers, orange zest, white pepper, dark stones, exotic baking spices and beautifully ripe blackberries, blood plums and some redder fruit notes. The palate delivers plenty of energy and depth with ripe, dark and juicy tannins, wrapped around a very rich, intense and fleshy blackberry core. Impressive and still just a baby. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSSaturated purple. Hugely perfumed aromas of dark berry preserves, incense, potpourri, smoky bacon and spicecake. Cola, olive and cracked pepper flourishes build with air. Youthfully and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated, sharply defined black/blue fruit, spicecake, vanilla and violet pastille flavors that are brightened by a smoky mineral accent. Chewy and appealingly sweet on the extremely long, floral-dominated finish framed by youthful, slow-building tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMA darker, deeper, slightly more meaty style compared to La Mouline, the oak here more powerfully evident. Very grippy, very tight tannins. The alcohol feels a little raised, but generally there is a good balance between darks fruits, acidity and tannin, and the wine has great freshness, length and depth. Aromatically and texturally, the wine is dominated by oak at this early stage, though this aspect will soften and meld to some extent as it matures in bottle. Very long, juicy, intense finish. Fermented in stainless steel, 40 months in new French oak barriques. Drinking Window 2027 - 2039Decanter | 95 DEC

The finest vintage to date, better even than the stellar 2010, the 2015 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert is a gorgeous, deep, layered, and incredibly satisfying Crozes. Blackcurrants, olive tapenade, truffles and earthy notes all emerge from this full-bodied, gorgeously textured and seamless 2015. With fine tannin and no hard edges, it can be drunk today or cellaring for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2015 reds from the Northern Rhône are truly spectacular and this vintage rivals or surpasses the 2010s and 2009s. Brought up in a mix of tronconique tanks and Burgundy barrels (20% being new), the 2015 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert is a big, serious, full-bodied effort that’s reminiscent of a slightly softer version of the 2010. Scorched earth, black fruits, cassis, black olive and a hint of graphite all emerge from this sensational Crozes Hermitage. You’ll need to forget bottles for 4-5 years, but it will have over two decades of longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPInky ruby. Suave, mineral-accented scents of ripe blueberry, black currant and Indian spices, along with a slowly emerging floral component. Plush, broad and deeply concentrated, displaying black and blue fruit, licorice and mocha flavors that are energized by an intense, peppery overtone. Finishes extremely long, fleshy and sweet, delivering intense mineral thrust, a subtle cracked pepper nuance and youthful, building tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMSmooth, impressive flesh and weight. Graphite-like stony minerally aromas with dark cherries and darker plums, the oak adding cedary woody notes. The palate has an impressive plushness as well as assertive tannins below. Extremely defined, pure and attractive. A great vintage. Best from 2019 and for a decade at least.James Suckling | 93 JS(Crozes-Hermitage “Domaine de Thalabert”- Paul Jaboulet Âiné) The 2015 Crozes-Hermitage “Domaine de Thalabert” bottling from Paul Jaboulet Âiné is a touch riper than their les Jalets bottling, coming in at 13.5 percent on the label (versus thirteen), but is nicely precise in its fruit expression and has nice mineral undertow. The cuvée is made entirely from sixty to eighty year-old vines these days and aged in twenty percent new oak. The 2015 version is excellent, offering up a nascently complex bouquet of cassis, black raspberries, roasted meats, pepper, bonfire, a nice touch of cedar, new leather and a fine base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and youthful, with a profile that shows a touch of sur maturité in its flavors, but no backend heat on the long, ripely tannic and nicely focused finish. This is a young and promising wine that has plenty of mid-palate stuffing and the backend mineral drive to be outstanding in the fullness of time, but it is a young wine that emphatically deserves some time in the cellar to blossom. (Drink between 2023-2060)John Gilman | 91 JG

Pure perfection in a glass, the 2016 Syrah Bionic Frog is another magical wine from this estate and is as good as it gets. Crème de cassis, rose petals, menthol, ash, and smoky, meaty, soy sauce notes all emerge from this singular wine. Full-bodied, expansive, and powerful yet weightless on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins, a brilliant finish, and a singular, magical character. It matches the otherworldly 2014 and 2010 and is one of the wines of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThere’s a darker and deeper character that sets this syrah apart from the rest at Cayuse. Staggering intensity of black-fruit aromas and woody spices, as well as dark chocolate and meaty notes. The palate has a sense of total saturation and the tannins are so polished, so long and so dense. There’s an ethereal mood here, transcending individual descriptors and delivering licorice, sarsaparilla and blackberries, all bathed in hard, brown spices. Seamless, long and silky. Best from 2022 and for at least a decade after that.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Syrah Bionic Frog needs no introduction, as its reputation proceeds it. Aromas of black fruit, olive and savory herbs with hints of mustard seed waft from the nose. The palate shows soft flavors of smoke and ash over a firm core of minerality that is very pleasurable, continuing on to the long-lingering finish and aftertaste of olive and dark berries. An instant success, only 509 cases were created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPBright red-ruby. Urgent, very pure aromas of pungent dark cherry, black olive and chicory lifted by a floral topnote. Wonderfully silky and velvety in the mouth, but also with terrific definition to its alluring flavors of framboise, dried herbs, briny olive and dried Indian spices. This round, utterly seamless, mouthfilling Syrah finishes with ripe, noble tannins, staining the palate with late notes of minerals, black olive and blood sausage. It will need a while to absorb some of its baby fat and may well go through a closed stage in bottle at some point. (15% new oak; from Coccinelle Vineyard; this wine gets one of the two new foudres Christophe Baron purchases every year, with the other one used for the Impulsivo)Vinous Media | 96 VMThe aromas fascinate, with notes of funk, earth, savory green olive, herb, soot, umami, black pepper, black olive brine, smoked meat and caper. It shows a profound sense of intensity, balance and layering to the savory and floral flavors that continue through the long, richly flavored finish of firepit and flowers. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPlump, with personality, and well-structured, with vibrant raspberry, garrigue and bacon fat flavors that build richness and focus toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2027. 509 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2016 Syrah En Cerise Vineyard is another winner (best to date?), showing an incredibly bloody, iron quality as well as beautiful purity in its bright cherry, blackberries, violets, pork fat, and acacia flower aromas and flavors. Seamless, silky, gorgeous, and perfectly balanced, it’s another heavenly wine from Baron that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise for 10-15.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis wine displays an overt sense of funkiness out of the gate, with the rest of the aromas not entirely ready to reveal their charms. Charcuterie board, green peppercorn, asparagus, fresh tobacco, ashtray and soot notes emerge over time. Full, dense-feeling black olive and other savory flavors follow. The intensity on the finish is commanding, and it lasts for a solid minute. It’s an exclamation point.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2016 Syrah en Cerise has a tight core of red and black fruits on the nose with a dusty and juicy focus. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the wine has a youthful expression of mineral tension and granular tannins, then turns to more of a rugged nature with hints of wild underbrush. The wine lingers with a long, dusty finish, showing a mineral grip that remains more on the tart cherry side with flutters of smoked spices. Give this bottle some time to mellow and age. 391 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis has quite an austere edge of savory, dark stones and spices with a core of fresh black cherries and blackberries. The palate has the same mix of stones and pepper and the tannins are assertive yet fine, carrying plenty of dark berries and plums in a contained, gently stony brand of tannin. Give this some time in bottle.James Suckling | 94 JSBright dark red. Wilder aromas than the Cailloux: dark raspberry, plum, smoked meat, black olive, hoisin sauce and baking spices. Very backward and slightly medicinal, in a more brooding style, with its concentrated dark raspberry fruit complicated by notes of wet stone and smoky minerality. Less fun today than the Cailloux but this is silky, savory and complex, not to mention darker in character. Finishes ripely tannic and very long. I suspect this wine will make a perfect match for a slab of rare duck breast, but I’d still hold it for at least a couple more years. (13.5% alcohol; 15% new demi-muids)Vinous Media | 94 VMThere’s a brooding core wrapped in polished raspberry, rose petal, green olive and crushed stone elements that build structure toward refined tannins.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Fabulous complexity on the nose with crushed blackberries, chocolate, walnuts and tar. Lots of dried flowers. Full body. Layered and creamy with superb tannin texture and length. Hints of stone. Half made in amphora and half in casks. Aged one year in old casks. Drink or hold. 3,500 bottles made.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Syrah is a dense, potent wine. Wild cherry, game, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and coffee are front and center. This is an especially rich style. Then, again we are in Maremma. The 2016 is a bit wild, but in the best sense of the term. It will offer its finest drinking alongside similarly hearty cuisine. It was fermented in a mix of terracotta and cocciopesto, then moved into oak for 2-3 months before going into bottle, where it spent more than two years before being released.Vinous Media | 95 VMI reviewed this wine last year but welcomed the opportunity to taste it again one year later. My score has not changed, but I have extended the drinking window by a few years. The Fattoria le Pupille 2016 Le Pupille is an ambitious expression of amphorae-fermented Syrah. It presents cherry and dark plum, with earthy tones followed by tarry spice and campfire smoke. The meaty intensity normally associated with the Syrah grape is replaced here by plump and rich dark fruit. Give the wine a little extra time in your cellar to evolve and unwind.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPOne of the newest projects at Fattoria Le Pupille is this Syrah (first vintage, 2015), a terracotta-and-tonneaux wine from Vigna del Palo and Pian di Fiora, using barrels previously used for Poggio Valente. Vinified in a combination of amphorae (known locally as ‘orci’) and tonneaux, the wine sits on its skins for an extended period of around five months, before ageing in 300l French oak tonneaux and a further 18 months in bottle. Gamey and leathery aromas are accompanied by herbal and floral fragrance. In the mouth it’s sapid, tight and meaty, with a sweet black fruit core surrounded by flecks of blue fruit, violet overtones and a touch of spice. It finishes long and savoury, with vibrant acidity. 4,600 bottles produced.Decanter | 93 DEC

Probably one of my favorite wines in the world is the La Mouline Côte Rôtie from the Guigal family. Coming from old vines and a warmer, steep, terraced parcel not far from the estate, it also includes a big chunk of Viognier and spent 4 years in new French oak. The 2016 Côte Rôtie La Mouline shows the more classic, elegant style of the vintage perfectly, offering a kaleidoscope feel in its classic jammy black raspberry fruits and notes of spice box, acacia flowers, bacon fat, and smoked game-like aromas and flavors. Possessing incredible elegance, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a layered, multi-dimensional texture, this heavenly Syrah can be enjoyed any time over the coming 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep, glistening violet color. Highly perfumed aromas of fresh black/blue fruits, exotic spices, peony, vanilla and incense are complemented by a smoky mineral nuance. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, displaying alluringly sweet, mineral-tinged blueberry, cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors along with hints of licorice and cola. The floral and spice notes repeat emphatically on an extremely long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a resonating mineral flourish.Vinous Media | 98 VM(E Guigal, La Mouline, Syrah / Shiraz, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, Red) Here the blackberry fruit is more to the fore compared to La Mouline 2017, the higher-toned aromatics and cedar notes are more in the background. This has a fluid, harmonious, light-touch - very well balanced. Perhaps not as concentrated as the 2017, but I love its easy balance. Particularly elegant and approachable with a little dark chocolate note to the cedar and floral display. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 97 DECLike the La Turque, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Mouline is about as approachable a young La La as you’re likely to find. Floral notes include hints of violet and hibiscus set against a backdrop of blackberries and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, it’s richly concentrated and textured, leaving behind a velvety, tannic feel on the long finish, accompanied by hints of cedary spice, mocha and salted licorice. It’s another beauty that should drink well for at least two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSuave in feel, this lovely, beguiling wine offers perfumed black tea and incense notes swirling around a core of steeped cherry and plum fruit, all inlaid with notes of anise and juniper. The finish knits everything together nicely, with a mouthwatering mineral hint echoing. Best from 2022 through 2038. 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

(E Guigal, La Turque, Syrah / Shiraz, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, Red) Lighter and more perfumed than the 2017 La Turque, more aerial in aroma, violets. I love the smoothness of the tannins, the silkiness on the palate. Again, the balance feels very natural and easy as it does with the other 2016 La-Las, with a harmonious, shapely, tapered finish. Extremely elegant expression of Côte-Rôtie, with perfect balance of tannin, acidity and alcohol. (Drink between 2023-2040)Decanter | 98 DECLoaded with exotic perfumes of spring flowers and ripe berries, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Turque looks more like the wine I first tasted back in 2017. Medium to full-bodied, it’s exquisitely silky and elegant from start to incredibly long finish; while there is ample concentration and a fine, lacy framework of tannins to support the fruit, the tannins virtually melt away into the background, leaving behind lingering notes of salted licorice and mocha. Approachable now, it should drink well for at least two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPInky magenta. Candied cherry, blackcurrant, exotic spices, violet oil and a hint of olive on the powerfully scented nose. Velvety, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering palate-staining, mineral-laced black/blue fruit preserve, floral pastille, smoky bacon and spicecake flavors that open up steadily on the back half. Displays sharp delineation and a resonating floral note on a strikingly long finish that’s framed by plush, rounded tannins.Vinous Media | 97 VMShowing beautifully, the 2016 Côte Rôtie La Turque comes from the Côte Brune (along with the La Landonne) and includes a solid chunk of co-fermented Viognier. As with all the top La Las, it spends a full four years in new French oak and is bottled with no finning or filtration. Resembling the La Landonne with its smoky, meaty style, this deep purple-hued effort is medium to full-bodied and has complex notes of black raspberry, cassis, roast coffee, camphor, and flowers, silky tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more elegant style of the vintage yet is still concentrated, with fabulous tannins and impeccable balance. It’s a beautiful, classic example of this cuvée to enjoy over the coming 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDDark and winey, with waves of cassis, steeped plum and warmed cherry preserves rolling through, all laced with dried anise, black tea and mesquite notes. The long finish picks up a savory edge and a well-buried iron note. For the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2040. 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2017 Syrah En Cerise Vineyard is cut from the same cloth as the Cailloux Vineyard release, yet is a slightly darker, meatier wine, offering a Jamet-like bouquet of blackberries, ground pepper, black olive, bloody meat, crushed rocks, and violets. Showing less overt funkiness and just a stunningly pure, elegant, medium to full-bodied Syrah, it has silky tannins, a great spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. Drink it any time over the coming two decades or more. It’s hard to say if this will surpass the 2016, 2008, and 2007, but it’s certainly in the same ballpark.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDLots of blackberries and blueberries with grilled meat and gristle undertones. This is full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and creamy with integrated, fine tannins that are soft and caressing. Delicious finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2017 Syrah en Cerise begins a little more broad-shouldered than the rest of the range, offering up aromas of black cherries, crushed rock, cured meats, smoked peppercorn and dusty lavender in the glass. Full-bodied, the wine is firm with youthful tannins, which make this bottling food-friendly. Open-knit and expressive, the long, winding finish evolves over a few moments before reverting to savory tones and an expression of dust-covered cherry skin. Only 393 cases were produced. I would suggest giving this one more year in the cellar, then consume over the next 13-18 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPBright red-ruby color. Slightly darker and more brooding on the nose than the Cailloux Vineyard Syrah but with very pure, youthful scents of black raspberry, smoked meat, black olive tapenade, black pepper, minerals and violet; more Brune than Blonde. Dense, juicy, savory and light on its feet, with subtle sweetness leavened by surprising acidity and dark flavors of boysenberry and violet. Notes of minerals, spices and pepper add to the wine’s mid-palate energy. The very long, palate-staining finish leaves the taste buds quivering. Today I prefer this to the Cailloux for its balance and light touch. Although slightly imploded, it’s already easy to taste. A great vintage for this Syrah bottling.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThe aromas are quite reserved for this producer, with notes of flower, crushed rock and fireplace. A flavorful palate follows, full of black-olive and earth notes. A lingering finish comes next. It’s a very understated offering. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WESvelte and round, with a dense, complex backbone. Black raspberry, orange peel, stony mineral and bacon fat accents glide on a lingering finish. Drink now through 2027. 393 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

From 100% Syrah brought up in 30% new French oak, the 2017 Côte Rôtie Lancement offers a stunning perfume of blackberries, black raspberries, crushed violets, bacon fat, and hints of ground pepper. This flows to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, silky Côte Rôtie that has ultra-fine tannins, remarkable purity, and a great finish. It’s a stunning effort and up with the crème de la crème of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe concentrated 2017 Cote Rotie Lancement was still in barrel when I tasted it. Dark in hue, with notes of violets and purple raspberries, it’s full-bodied, silky-creamy in texture and still in need of time to develop, but it shows excellent depth and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe fruit from lieu-dit Lancement in Ampuis is hand-harvested and 100% destemmed here, before being matured in 30% new oak for 24 months. Blackberry and blueberry aromas are accompanied by some spicy cinnamon oak. It’s light-bodied, brisk in style but with no lack of concentration. Bright, juicy acidity and a distinctly saline edge adds to the sense of freshness in the mouth. Focussed, snappy, precise and very drinkable. Drinking Window 2020 - 2024.Decanter | 92 DECSaturated violet. Expansive dark berry and floral scents are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, smoky bacon and exotic spices. Juicy and broad in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet blackberry, cherry cola and mocha flavors supported by a core of smoky minerality. The vanilla and floral notes repeat on a long, smooth finish framed by sneaky, even tannins. One-third new oak.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Lastly, the 2017 Syrah La Paciencia Vineyard is just classic Rocks Syrah with its meaty, bloody blue fruits, ground black pepper, cured meats, violets, and spring flower aromas and flavors. Beautifully textured, concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, it’s another incredible wine from this label that can be drunk any time over the coming 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA firm, creamy textured wine with extremely well-integrated, almost seamless tannins that lead you down to a deep, satisfying palate. Medium to full body and round, juicy fruit. Shows smoky, meaty and earthy flavors. Persistent finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSWith a beautifully perfumed nose, the 2017 Syrah la Paciencia Vineyard could easily be mistaken for a Côte-Rôtie. Bursting from the glass, aromas of smoked cherries, black pepper and dusty rose petals grace the nose, followed by a note of dried orange peel and elements of potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the wine embodies focus and precision, with an impeccable balance across the mid-palate that bursts with freshness of fruit and a tightly wound structure, which will allow the wine to age beautifully for a couple of decades. The wine continues to evolve on the palate with a long-lingering finish. You will want to add one of these bottles to your cellar. Only 336 cases made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe aromas arrest you in your tracks, with notes of potpourri, earthy funk, sea breeze and charcuterie plate. The black-olive and floral flavors are pillowy soft in feel, undulating across the palate, showing depth and intensity, leading to a hyperextended savory note and flower-filled finish. It’s a showstopper.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEHealthy deep red. Complex aromas of blackberry, peppery herbs, spices, violet, charcuterie and olive tapenade; not particularly fruity but shows lovely treble notes and perfumed lift. Densely packed, suave and juicy; more concentrated than the Grenache, possessing a subtle dark berry sweetness to balance its saline tones. An alluring silky midweight with some punch. Finishes aromatic and long, with smooth tannins, subtle lingering perfume and a distinct airiness. I suspect this will open further with age, but it’s already quite pliant.Vinous Media | 93 VMSleek and harmonious, with multilayered black olive, plum, raspberry and smoky pepper flavors that glide along the elegant finish. Drink now through 2030. 336 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Memorable, complex, aromatic and explosively deep, with a mix of palo santo, dark chocolate, black olive, espresso and hazelnut butter. The pure fruit at the core is a mix of ripe huckleberry, boysenberry and wild blackberry, with dense but polished tannins. Savory notes of dried rosemary and sage, cigar box, dried apricot and sandalwood linger on the epic finish. Drink now through 2045. 289 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 98 WSOpaque, bright-rimmed ruby. Highly pungent, smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of cherry pit, violet candy, cured tobacco, savory herbs, coconut and exotic spices on the kaleidoscopic nose. Shows superb clarity and spicy lift to its spice-laced bitter cherry, cassis, blueberry and floral pastille flavors, which take on black cardamom, menthol and cola nuances as the wine slowly stretches out. Shows superb delineation and spicy thrust on the youthfully tannic finish, which features resonating cherry, blue fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMStrongly marked—as always—by its 100% American oak elevage, the 2017 Grange backs up the cedar and vanilla notes with ample blackberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied, ripe and almost decadently creamy in the mouth, it’s loaded with substance, concentrated and rich, yet—in the context of Grange—relatively light and elegant-seeming on the finish. Only the seventh-ever Grange to be exclusively Shiraz, it originates from Barossa Valley (86%) and McLaren Vale (14%); Shiraz from other growing regions in South Australia failed to make the grade this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSurprisingly approachable, the seamless meld of fresh red fruits, mocha and liquorice makes for an especially friendly and agreeable young Grange. A fabulous bouquet immediately draws you in – a meadow of wild herbs amid an orchard of plums – while the long palate shows impressive drive. Some spiky raw notes stick out at the end, along with assertive oak, showing that this vintage is still growing into its sturdy frame. Released at AU$950. Drinking Window 2025 - 2060.Decanter | 96 DECThis starts with a deeply spicy and brooding nose that packs plenty of (100% new) American oak, some smoked vanilla and ripe dark plums and berries. The palate has a youthful, astringent feel with sinewy oak tannin and deep plum and dark-berry flavors, carrying a big frame of fruit extract. Big, round berries strive towards boldness. A blend of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. 100% shiraz. Drink over the next two decades.James Suckling | 96 JS

Always one of the top Crozes-Hermitage out there (although the case could be made that it’s more Hermitage than Crozes), the 2018 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers has a liqueur of rocks-like character as well as gorgeous blue fruits, violets, earth, and bouquet garni aromas and flavors. I’d unquestionably guess Hermitage in a blind lineup. This full-bodied beauty has a seamless texture, ample tannins, and a great finish. It’s pure class and the finest Crozes Hermitage out there in 2018. It’s a stunning value that readers should snatch up!Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSumptuous cherries line the medium to full-bodied palate of the 2018 Crozes Hermitage les Varonniers. Underneath—for the moment—are stony notes of granitic reserve, which I wouldn’t be surprised to see emerge even more with time. For now, this looks plush and fruity, but don’t be misled—there’s more here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPGlistening ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, olive paste, mocha and potpourri; a smoky mineral element adds energetic lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering broad-shouldered bitter cherry, cassis, cola and candied violet flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Shows sharp focus and resonating smoke and spice notes on the penetrating finish, where dusty, slow-building tannins add gentle grip and focus. 25% new oak.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is really nicely packed with dark currant, cherry and blackberry fruit that has melded with alder, bay leaf and tar notes. Iron and sanguine details add range on the finish. Approachable, but will gain with some cellaring. Drink now through 2032. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS