Syrah

wines

Almost as good, yet in a completely different style, the 2009 Cornas is about as sexy and voluptuous as Cornas gets! Loaded with kirsch, licorice, dried flowers and smoked meat-like aromas and flavors, this awesome 2009 has thrilling concentration, full-bodied richness and knockout length. It has the fruit to impress today, but needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will have over two decades of longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPPossesses the delicious ripeness of the vintage, replete with dense layers of braised fig, steeped plum and black currant alongside bitter cherry notes. The structure, however, is strident and authoritative, resembling a 2010 with chalk, olive paste and warm brick notes coursing through the finish. Lock this one away for a while. Best from 2016 through 2030. 1,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOpaque violet color. The nose offers a kaleidoscopic bouquet of red and dark berry scents along with incense, candied violet, licorice and smoky minerals. Pretty much a distillation of syrah, showing superb clarity and intensity on the palate, with excellent depth and clarity to the sweet black raspberry and floral pastille flavors. The mineral quality builds with air and adds focus and cut to the long, spicy, strikingly pure finish. This is one of the best wines I tasted from the northern Rhone this vintage and appears to be destined for a very long life.Vinous Media | 95 VM

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

Made by Christophe as a tribute to Cote Rotie and coming from a blend of estate vineyards, the 2012 Syrah Wallah Wallah #4 Special spent 22 months in older puncheons and neutral smaller barrels before being bottled only in Magnum, of which there’s only 2,500 to go around. Hitting 13.6% natural alcohol, its deep ruby, semi-opaque color is followed by fabulous notes of rose petals, incense, violets, leather and sweet raspberry. These flow seamlessly to a full-bodied, supple and elegant Syrah that has no hard edges, integrated acidity and thrilling purity of fruit. Showing more and more tannin with time in the glass, it needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and will have an easy two decades or more of longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP(13.6% alcohol; a "vineyard blend" bottled entirely in magnums): Healthy deep red. Aromas reminded me of the Côte Brune: raspberry, brown spices, mocha, black tea, every color of pepper. Wonderfully juicy and aromatic in the mouth, hinting at the fleshiness to come but still imploded in the early going. Strong dusty tannins are buffered by a powerful impression of extract, with the finish leaving behind notes of pepper and bacon. Baron compared this wine to the Jamet 2001 Côte-Rôtie and I can relate to that.Vinous Media | 95+ VMA unique blend of several of the winery’s vineyards, this wine brings brooding notes of smoked ham, raw meat, lilac, fire pit and peat, with a thread of minerality that runs throughout. The flavors are full but deft, showing abundant smoked meat and savory notes along with a finish that seems near endless. The balance is perfectly spot-on.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEBright and jazzy, with a distinctively red cast to the color and a flavor profile of raspberry and rose petal. Powdery tannins and stony notes add to the complexity and harmony. Finishes with snap. Drink now through 2022. 257 cases made.Wine 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

The 2012 Côte Rôtie La Mouline reminds me of the 2011 with its upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist, it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis has a brooding feel, with layers of warm tobacco leaf, roasted alder and juniper, and sweet tapenade leading the way, backed by a dense core of macerated plum, black currant and raspberry fruit. The long, smoldering finish shows terrific latent grip. Best from 2018 through 2030. 415 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSuper peppery, very, very concentrated and immaculately fragrant Côte-Rôtie here. There's plenty of oak in the mix, too. It shows entrancing brown-spice aromas across red plums and darker black fruits. The palate's layered, smooth and supple, pitching concentrated flavors against precise, dense and very powerful tannin. Finishes on a smooth edge as its softens slightly, leaving a trail of spiced-custard and dark-plum flavors. Exceptional wine. Drink 2020-2030.James Suckling | 95 JSLurid ruby. Heady, intensely perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, incense, smoky minerals and lavender, accompanied by an Asian spice flourish that builds as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with sweet, seamless raspberry liqueur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and given spine by core of juicy acidity. Puts on weight and spreads out slowly on the strikingly long and precise finish, which features resonating mineral and floral notes.Vinous Media | 94 VM

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

The 2013 Syrah Per Sempre is another gorgeous wine from Tua Rita. This estate on the Tuscan Coast offers one of Italy’s top Syrahs. In vintages like this, it is in the running for the number one spot among Italian expressions of the Rhône grape. It opens to supremely finessed varietal characteristics of blackberry, chocolate, toasted espresso, smoked bacon and dark spice. The wine is aged in barrique for 21 months and no clarification is performed. In warmer vintages with early-ripening fruit, you risk that the muscular structure of the wine eventually overcomes the bouquet. This is not the case in 2013. The wine presents power and generosity in equal fashion across the senses. This wine was not produced in 2014 because the grape skins were damaged that year. Hold onto your bottles of 2013, because you need to make it last.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPI have tasted the 2013 Sirah Per Sempre several times over the last few months and it just keeps getting better. Intensely aromatic, Tua Rita’s Syrah is unusual for the Tuscan coast because of its distinctly floral/savory personality. Sweet tobacco, rose petal, sage, mint, wild flowers and red-fleshed fruit are some of the signatures. In the 2013 Sirah readers will find a wine endowed with tons of nuance and complexity. A final kick of aromatics married to rich Suvereto fruit leaves a lasting impression on the finish. Just bottled, the 2013 is quite raw and in need of time, but it is incredibly promising, not to mention delicious.Vinous Media | 95+ VMWonderful dried meat, spice, dried herb and earth character topped off with ripe fruit. It’s elegant and racy with great length and structure, yet also refined and gorgeous. So drinkable now. The Hermitage La Chapelle of Italy. Pure Syrah.James Suckling | 95 JSA meaty red, boasting blackberry, plum, black olive, smoke and vanilla aromas and flavors. Rich and dense, with a lingering aftertaste of herbs and oak spice. Drink now through 2023. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSSpicy and supple, this has aromas of cured meat, white pepper, toast and dark plum that follow the warm robust palate along with dried black cherry, coffee and licorice. Round tannins provide the supple framework. Drink through 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Only released in special vintages, as well as only in magnum, the 2014 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #6 is about as Northern Rhône as it gets. More rounded, sexy and voluptuous than the other cuvees, with full-bodied richness and silky tannin, it reminds me of the Burgundian style of wine from Jean-Louis Chave. Violets, crushed rocks, graphite, smoked earth and beautiful black fruit notes emerge from this sensual, elegant, ethereally textured beauty. It might be my favorite Special cuvee to date. It’s already beautiful, but it will keep for two decades or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA sleek, seamless red, with vivid raspberry, crushed rock and bacon fat aromas and elegantly layered blueberry and grilled garrigue notes. Drink now through 2024. 418 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WS(13.4% alcohol; bottled entirely in magnums): Dark red with ruby highlights. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, blood sausage, Christmas spices and black pepper; smells like a charcuterie shop floor--blood, sawdust and all. Plump and salty in the mouth, with subtle purple fruit and cranberry flavors dominated by more savory earthy, gamey and balsamic qualities. The least fruity of these Syrahs today but this thick midweight avoids heaviness and manages to retain a juiciness--not to mention surprising aromatic persistence--on the firmly tannic back end. Not a fleshy or sweet style but not particularly closed either.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis wine—only released in magnum—comes from a blend of vineyards across the portfolio. The aromas pop, with complex notes of stems, nori, sea salt, green olive, fire pit, tapanade, flowers and mineral. The smoked meat, firepit and stem flavors are intense and savory, drawing out on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Made in magnum, this is the only wine in the portfolio to blend across vineyards. The aromas are arresting, with notes of firepit, funk, green herb, potpourri, chimney and black and green olive. Rich, intense but still lithe savory flavors follow. The intensity and length of the finish is captivating.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA blend of vineyards, the 2016 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #10 is only bottled in magnum format. It has a fresh core of strawberries on the nose, with a dusty minerality and hints of wild sage over soft, smoky and charcuterie aromas. The wine has a focused and balanced core of fruit and florals on the palate, with violets, dried herbs, black pepper and a taut minerality that is thoughtful and elegant, concluding with attentive tannins on the elongated finish. Magnums age well, so this can be forgotten in your cellar with little to no repercussions to the quality of the wine. This bottling is Washington State’s smart wine buy of the year. Who doesn’t love magnums of fantastic and beautiful wine? Only 460 cases were made. Grab some for your cellar!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPOnly released in magnum, the 2016 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #10 is always a mysterious blend of multiple vineyards. It has beautiful complexity in its ripe black cherry and cassis fruits, iodine, tobacco, ashtray, and earthy/peat moss-like aromas and flavors. This gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated Syrah that has bright acidity, loads of fruit, and a focused, juicy style that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDA blend of vineyards that changes each year, this has a sense of elegance with a distinctly spicy and quite floral edge (there is some viognier) and a lithe, juicy and very drinkable feel. This is more immediate, a wine to celebrate with and only bottled in magnum. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSBright dark red. Lovely Côte-Rôtie-like aromas of black raspberry, violet and bacon fat. Dense and savory, with strong raspberry fruit lifted by a minty nuance in the mid-palate. Piquant mace and nutmeg notes contribute energy and a black pepper component lifts the finish. Quite firm but utterly edge-free, this youthfully bound-up wine finishes saline and long, with an emerging note of black licorice. Not currently as complex as some of the other 2026 Syrahs at this address, this wine calls for patience. (13.5% alcohol; bottled in magnums; according to Elizabeth Bourcier, this wine is from "a secret blend of vineyards)".Vinous Media | 93 VMSvelte and luscious, with effortlessly complex raspberry and blueberry flavors accented by garrigue, smoky beef and cracked pepper notes. The finish is long and elegant, with refined tannins.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is an absolutely gorgeous expression, very full and generous. The 2016 Syrah Per Sempre spent a little less time in oak compared to other vintages, just 16 months, and the results are excellent. This area’s Syrah always does best in hot years, such as 2009 and 2007, and this vintage is reminiscent of the latter. There is lovely black fruit, surrounded by milled black pepper and hints of charcuterie. The key to hot-vintage Syrah is to keep the extraction low: This wine saw a 20-day maceration period, but still, the Syrah Per Sempre is thick and highly concentrated, and the 15% alcohol content is unmistakable. This would be a perfect accompaniment to a filet mignon and potatoes au gratin. This Syrah is a true standout.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPTua Rita’s 2016 Syrah Per Sempre is fabulous. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, plum and blueberry jam are all beautifully delineated. Savory, powerful and also structured, the 2016 has plenty of intensity, but it also is not as dense or obvious as has been the case in the recent past. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2016 for at least a few years.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is very exotic and seductive with dark berries, incense, citronelle and hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, chewy and intense with a powerful palate and a long finish. Very fresh and muscular syrah. Needs three or four years to come around.James Suckling | 96 JSFocused flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice and black pepper are wrapped in toasty oak, but this intense red remains balanced and on the elegant side, with a long, fresh and spicy aftertaste. Decant now, or give it a year or two to absorb the oak. Syrah. Best from 2022 through 2032. 250 cases made, 15 cases imported.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

A more reductive, meaty, backward effort than normal, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits is all Syrah that comes from unquestionably one of the top terroirs in Saint-Joseph. It was vinified in concrete tanks and aged in a mix of barrels and demi-muids, 20% being new. It blossoms with air and reveals an almost Hermitage-like class and minerality, with killer crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits supported by loads of smoked game, saddle leather, crushed stone, barbecue smoke, garrigue, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Just incredible on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, awesome tannins, and a liquid rock-like minerality, this tour de force from Saint-Joseph ranks with the finest vintage of this cuvée ever made and matches the 2015, although it shows a very different style. It should be snatched up by readers. It will need 3-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA very fine-tuned wine, super sleek and refined, with cassis, plum puree and cherry coulis notes streaming through, inlaid seamlessly with a bright mineral edge and all set against a floral and red tea backdrop. The long finish ripples with subtle energy. Drink now through 2038. 57 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WSCrushed stone, cracked pepper and ripe blueberries appear on the nose of the 2018 Saint-Joseph Les Granits. Black olives show up on the palate, adding a welcome savory note. Atypically full-bodied and velvety, I expect more structure to emerge with time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPAssertively perfumed, spice-accented dark berry liqueur, floral pastille and smoky mineral scents show fine delineation and a hint of olive. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering plush boysenberry and black raspberry flavors that deepen and become sweeter through the midpalate. Deftly blends richness and energy and finishes impressively long and floral, with smooth tannins and an echoing mineral note.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMPretty and pure berry fruits with a little smoky backbone. A very rounded and generous style, not as straight as some vintages but good tannic precision and grip, very granitic, very fine, fibrous, muscular tannins. A little touch of bitterness on the long finish. Drinking Window 2019 - 2025.Decanter | 93 DEC

Bottled late in 2020, the 2018 Cornas is another exceptional vintage for this cuvée, drawn from the family’s older vines, largely in the lieux-dits of La Côte, Sabarotte and Reynard. Yes, it’s from a hot, sunny vintage, it’s rich and ripe, with plenty of red plum fruit up front, but there’s a solid underpinning of crushed stone to provide balance. Full-bodied and velvety in feel in the mouth, it lingers elegantly on the lengthy finish. Complete, balanced and fine, it should drink well through at least 2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2018 Cornas is a classic wine from this renowned estate that’s 100% Syrah, mostly from the Reynard lieu-dit, brought up all in ancient foudre and casks. This is as classic and old school as they come, and the 2018 is as Clape as it gets with its bloody blue fruits, liquid violet, smoked game, pepper, bay leaf, and iron-like aromas and flavors. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it doesn’t have the sheer richness of the 2015 or 2017, and if anything, reminds me slightly of the 2016 with its incredible purity, balance, and finesse. The structure and tannins, which were more up-front and present from barrel, have a more round, seamless feel that gives this some up-front appeal. Granted, I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it certainly benefited from lots of air. This is a vintage that could certainly continue to offer pleasure over the coming decade and never really shut down, yet I suspect this will firm up quickly over the coming 2-4 years and require at least a decade of bottle age to really show its true potential. I promise, you will not be disappointed to have this in your cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDBlueberry and liquorice on the nose at this stage, there’s a little touch of acetone that is typical of Clape, along with some thyme and rosemary. Full-bodied, but not massive, this has plenty of immediate impact and drive, it really packs a punch on the finish. Powerful ingrained acidity drives the wine forward, as does an inner salinity and ripe but sharply pointed tannins. Ripe and approachable for Clape but still very Cornas, this is delicious now, but will reward cellaring too. Harvest started on the 12th of September. No destemming as usual, fermented in concrete, aged in large old oak barrels.Decanter | 97 DECRemarkably fresh nose, considering that August 2018 was so hot in the Rhone. Stunning aromas of bitter chocolate and perfectly ripe wild blackberries. I love the generous but not expansive body, where there’s a sensational interplay of fine tannins and mineral freshness that drive the very long and exciting finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSSaturated ruby. Ripe, spice-accented blackcurrant, kirsch, olive paste, candied flowers and smoked meat on the expansive nose. Offers deeply pitched black and blue fruit, exotic spice, olive and licorice flavors and a strong mineral underpinning. Steadily building tannins add shape and grip to an impressively long, smoky finish that emphatically repeats the floral and mineral notes.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Eminently classic style of Cornas, with hot sand, pine needles and wild herbs. Full-bodied, very fresh, intense and focussed. The acidity is particularly marked here, and adds to the searing effect on the palate, it has a great physical impact and serious length. Freshness and intensity, this is a great vintage for Guillaume Gilles. He’s captured the tempestuous wildness of the terroir without any overripeness or excess sun, just excellent definition and freshness. His best vintage yet? Drinkable now, but wait until 2028 if you can. 40-year-old vines in lieu-dit Chaillot, whole-bunch fermented, no fining or filtration.Decanter | 97 DECSaturated ruby. Penetrating aromas of cherry, black raspberry, candied flowers and smoked meat are complemented by exotic spice and mineral flourishes. Offers concentrated dark berry and cherry preserve, licorice and olive paste flavors that are sharpened by an emerging black pepper note. Closes impressively long, focused and spicy, with mounting tannins and resonating mineral and smoke notes.Vinous Media | 95 VM

...the 2018 Côte Rôtie Chateau D’Ampuis is nevertheless a remarkable Côte Rôtie that readers will love to have in the cellar. Sporting a deep ruby/purple hue as well as awesome Côte Rôtie notes of smoked game, violets, acacia flowers, and both red and black fruits, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has polished, seamless tannins, and a layered, perfectly balanced mouthfeel. It shows the softer style of the vintage (especially compared to the more structured, tannic 2019) and already offers pleasure, but this will easily evolve for at least two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDGlass-staining violet color. Expansive black and blue fruit, licorice, incense and floral qualities on the powerfully scented nose. Smooth and expansive in style, offering palate-coating cherry-vanilla, cassis and blueberry flavors that take on smoky mineral, candied violet and exotic spice accents as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long, sappy and appealingly sweet, with steadily building tannins and resonating blue fruit, spice and floral notes. Aged for 38 months in new oak barrels.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe very deep, smoky and spicy nose pulls you into this very concentrated, focused and elegant Cote-Rotie, with delicate notes of coconut and pomegranate adding to the very complex picture. Very long, polished finish with delicate sweetness and underplayed power. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSSmoky, briary and complex, the 2018 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis spent 38 months in new oak, yet it still exudes notes of blackberries and blueberries, testament to the wine’s ample concentration. It’s full-bodied and rich yet silky and long, with hints of mocha and brown sugar appearing on the finish. It’s another beautiful vintage of this cuvée, which combines fruit from seven different parcels (three on the Cote Blonde and four on the Cote Brune).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis dense, brooding red is packed with smoked meat, boysenberry, dried fig, black tea and charred cedar. Well-built and concentrated, this has formidable tannins that carry the smoky, bacony, savory finish. A complex red still approaching its prime. Drink now through 2030. 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Last of the Syrahs, the 2018 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard reveals a deep ruby/purple color as well as a wonderfully complex, classic Syrah nose of red and black fruits, cured meats, mushrooms, bacon fat, iron, and forest floor, with a touch of flowers emerging with time in the glass. With its medium to full-bodied richness, firm, focusing tannins, and great finish, it’s another wine that takes savoriness to the nth degree. I love its texture, and there’s almost a Burgundian style here that keeps you coming back to the glass. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDNotes of blackberry with coffee, nutmeg and smoke undertones. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Elegant and balanced on the palate with a creamy texture and supple, smoky character. Long finish. Drink in 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSBright ruby-red, the darkest of these Horsepower bottlings. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, menthol, bitter chocolate, crushed rock, violet and licorice are more Hermitage than Côte-Rôtie. At once dense and lively, conveying more energy and black fruit intensity than the Sur Echalas Syrah. Boasts lovely inner-mouth verve and definition for such a rich wine, and a captivating balance of sweetness and acidity. Also purer and sweeter than the Sur Echalas, with more subtle salty and balsamic tones. Finishes firmly tannic, ripe and very long, with complicating hints of violet and black olive. I particularly like this wine’s balance of acidity and sweetness. It has the spine to evolve positively in bottle but its subtle sweetness gives it early appeal. Incidentally, the Horsepower wines are fermented in concrete tanks and aged in neutral demi-muids and foudres, with this bottling getting some second-fill demi-muids. (Tasted June 2021; Published September 2021)Vinous Media | 94 VMWith grapes coming from a vineyard where the stones of the ancestral Walla Walla River and the surrounding silty loam meet, the aromas bring notes of raspberry, funk, ash, blood orange, black olive and potpourri. Palate-coating, intense flavors follow, showing layers of complexity. It’s more overtly rich in style than prior vintages but with no shortage of grace. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDark ruby with a magenta rim, the 2018 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard offers the darkest and broodiest nose of the range this year, with elements of teriyaki beef jerky, roasted plums and black peppercorn spice. Full-bodied, the palate is dense and chewy with a firm tannic edge, offering a gripping mineral tension and elements of blackberry skin, turned earth and worn leather. Give this another year or two in the bottle and drink until its 15th birthday. The wine rested for two years in a mixture of demi-muids and foudre. Just under 6,200 bottles were filled.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThere’s a simmering core of power underneath the elegant texture of this red, which unfurls slowly with blackberry, bacon fat and garrigue tones. Drink now through 2029. 516 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is similarly inky colored and has a classic nose of plums, Asian spices, sandalwood, and iron. Medium to full-bodied, with good acidity and ripe tannins, it doesn’t have the sheer weight, richness, or girth of the Vieilles Fontaines, yet it’s certainly a more classic Cornas that will be approachable with just 3-4 years of bottle age yet evolve for twenty years if you’re so inclined.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is packed with succulent cherry, plum paste and blackberry fruit flavors that show hints of mulled spice, dried anise, singed tobacco and sweet tapenade as they move through. A mouthwatering mineral edge extends the lengthy finish. Cellar patiently, then serve with game for the full seduction. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,265 cases made, 225 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSVivid purple. Displays expansive, finely detailed aromas of blueberry, kirsch, black pepper, violet and exotic spices, with hints of olive and cola in the background. Fleshy and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and brightened by a building mineral nuance. Chewy and appealingly sweet on the strikingly persistent finish, which features youthfully chewy tannins and resonating florality.Vinous Media | 95 VMRipe fruit on the nose with a touch of roasted spice embedded into the fruit. Full-bodied, mouth-coating ripe fruit and ripe tannin. The acidity is remarkably high and well balanced. The alcohol, however, does peep out just a touch. Tannins are not quite as velvety as the 2020, and there’s a touch of dryness. But nonetheless this is very good for the vintage. From lieux-dits Combe, Patou, La Côte, Tézier, Mazards, Chaillot, old vines of Chapelle St Pierre (the same plots for the cuvée Les Chailles, but further up the slopes). Racked in May, bottled in June, released in the autumn. 20% whole bunch, three weeks maceration, 20 months in oak, 10%-15% new.Decanter | 93 DECNow, this is more like it. A big step up from the disjointed Les Chailles, the 2019 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is a classic rendering of Cornas, with hints of crushed stone, mint, blueberries and red berries on the nose. It’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated enough, yet it’s not overbearing or heavy; it’s just deliciously drinkable and will drink well for more than a decade. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2019 Côte Rôtie Lancement is beautiful and a classic representation of this great terroir. Exotic flowers, bacon fat, spice, and red and black fruits define the bouquet, and it’s as Côte Rôtie as it gets, offering medium to full body, a seamless, elegant, yet also structured mouthfeel and a great finish. Beautifully done, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have upwards of two decades of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDDeep violet color. Mineral-accented dark berries, cherry-cola, candied flowers and exotic spices the highly energetic nose. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering concentrated black raspberry, bitter cherry and boysenberry flavors that are underscored by a vein of smoky minerality. Deep but vibrant as well, with fine-grained tannins building slowly on a very long, floral-driven finish that leaves resonating blue fruit and spice notes behind.Vinous Media | 95 VMAnother tiny-production wine, with just 1,200 bottles made, Garon’s 2019 Cote Rotie Lancement is built along similar lines to the family’s Les Cochins bottling, utilizing 20% whole bunches and 30% new oak. The Lancement shows more violets and raspberries on the nose, giving it a greater sense of charm, but it still retains a touch of coarseness on the palate, with a rough, open-knit feel; hints of mocha emerge on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Gorgeous nose, with dried rose, nutmeg and tobacco leaf. Enjoyably rich and generous on the palate, rounded and soft. There’s a tangy balsamic touch to the berry fruit, that’s ripe but not excessively so. Fairy opulent but not excessive, with a long finish. Aged in barriques for 18 months.Decanter | 95 DECSaturated ruby. High-pitched red and blue fruits, candied flowers and botanical herbs on the highly fragrant nose. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry and black raspberry flavors that are complemented by suggestions of licorice, vanilla and smoky bacon. Finishes very long and smooth, with repeating florality and rounded tannins lending subtle grip.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2019 Côte Rôtie Le Combard comes from a terraced lieu-dit in the southern part of the appellation. It’s another elegant, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated wine from this family estate that shines for its balance, purity, and length. Offering more blue fruits as well as ground pepper and some obvious minerality, give it a few years and enjoy over the following 10-15.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThere are just 1,200 bottles of the fine, elegant 2019 Cote Rotie Le Combard. Marked by scents of violets, alpine strawberries and ripe cherries, it’s medium to full-bodied, silky and charming, with a lovely hint of black tea emerging on the lengthy finish. It should drink well for at least the rest of the decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A wine that readers should snatch up is the 2019 Cornas from Johan Michel, a majestic, full-bodied, incredibly seamless beauty that does everything right. It certainly shows the ripe, sunny style of the vintage and brings ample fruit, richness, and power, yet it still has incredible focus as well as purity and freshness. Black raspberries, cassis, blueberries, violets, bacon fat, and peppery notes all emerge from the glass, and it has no hard edges and a sensational mouthfeel that keeps you coming back to the glass. It will evolve for 15 years or more, and I doubt it will ever close down. Those who like ripe, sexy, yet still pure, focused, and flawlessly balanced Cornas should back up the truck for this sensational wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDThis bursts forth with a torrent of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry preserve flavors. Vivid, racy and energetic throughout, with extra sweet bay leaf, violet and black olive elements chiming through repeatedly, while a mouthwatering chalky minerality courses underneath it all. Best from 2024 through 2038. 600 cases made, 115 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94+ WSShimmering ruby. Smoke-accented dark berries, potpourri, olive and cracked pepper on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy, supple and appealingly sweet, offering pliant blackberry, cherry liqueur and candied violet flavors that are firmed by a spine of juicy acidity. Youthfully chewy tannins frame a persistent, mineral- and spice-accented finish that echoes the cherry and olive notes.x000D 20% whole clusters.Vinous Media | 93 VMConcentrated and plummy, Michel’s 2019 Cornas is a strong effort, but it’s also a bit one-dimensional at this stage of its evolution. Full-bodied and intense, loaded with fruit and supported by supple tannins, it seems more about potential than achievement. It should develop more complexity in bottle, but will it truly blossom?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

Displaying a deep magenta core, the 2020 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard was made with 4% Viognier. The nose is spicy, focused and firm with hints of reduction, savory herbs, black and green peppercorn, bitter black tea, dark cherry skin and wilted flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the palate displays a firm tannic edge that grows in amplitude before showing subtle flavors of stewed cherries, roasted almonds and hints of vanilla. It ends with a food-friendly and generous finish. The wine rested for 18 months in about 20% new French oak barrels...Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Glass-staining purple. Assertively perfumed cassis, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and floral aromas take on espresso, olive and smoky bacon accents with aeration. Juicy, chewy and energetic on the palate, offering densely packed, alluringly sweet black and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille, licorice and mocha flavors that become deeper and spicier as the wine slowly stretches out. The floral and mineral notes repeat emphatically on a wonderfully long, juicy and mineral-dominated finish that’s framed by building, well-wrought tannins.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMAt first this feels like you’re standing in front of a set of locked gates. Huge power and structure without that much weight, thanks to the wonderful freshness that’s intertwined with the tarry depths of this Hermitage masterpiece. As it aerates smoked bacon, menthol and licorice notes develop, but I’d need much more space to give you all the aromas! The huge tannins at the finish are finely chiseled, suggesting this has decades of life ahead of it. From 40 to 100-year-old syrah vines. From biodynamically grown grapes.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe flagship 2020 Hermitage La Chapelle was bottled in June and, as usual, comes mostly from the Le Méal lieu-dit but also includes portions from Bessards as well. Deep purple-hued, with wonderful notes of crème de cassis, graphite, incense, and spice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a supple, elegant texture, fine tannins, and a great finish. It doesn’t have the sheer density or power of, say, the 2010 or 2015, but it shines for its purity and balance and is a gorgeous Hermitage. While the Maison Bleue is more opulent and expansive, this is the long-distance runner. Give bottles 4-6 years at a minimum and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDAfter the past several vintages, the 2020 Hermitage La Chapelle will need to add significant richness and concentration if it is to compete at that level. That said, it is still an excellent wine, with classic aromas of crushed stone, cassis, espresso and black olives. It’s full-bodied, fine and silky, giving an impression of great elegance on the lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPMeasured, fresh and harmonious in 2020, this Chapelle is potent, fairly concentrated and quite savoury in style. Tannins are fine, plentiful, a touch dry, but they give plenty of support for medium- to long-term ageing. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2036Decanter | 93 DEC

I’m not sure the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Mouline will match the 2019, but it’s still early to be making any final conclusions, as these wines have an uncanny ability to gain in richness and depth over their élevage. Cassis, violets, spring flowers, and scorched earth define the bouquet, and it’s more reserved, focused, and elegant on the palate. This full-bodied, concentrated, pure, beautifully balanced effort is loaded with potential.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDSticky damson and plum fruit, just a little touch of prune in the mix. Medium-bodied with fresh, fine tannins; quite an ethereal style of La Mouline, with floral hints and plentiful spicy oak among the roses. A compact style of wine for the vintage that suits what this vineyard delivers - good expression of terroir. I would drink this young, though it will no doubt age fairly well. From lieu-dit Côte Blonde and at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.Decanter | 95 DECDominated by dark notes of espresso, black olive and pumpernickel, the 2020 Cote Rotie La Mouline was missing the vineyard’s normally expressive floral aromas on this occasion. Full-bodied and rich, it’s an atypically muscular and closed vintage of La Mouline right now. It will be interesting to see how it evolves over the next few years of élevage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP

The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Turque reminds me of the 2018 with its pure, seamless, full-bodied, and elegant profile. Blueberries, smoked meat, scorched earth, graphite, and black cherry notes all show on the nose, and it’s full-bodied, has a concentrated, powerful mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a seriously good finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThis feels like a classic, with the weight and tannins necessary to help this age, but it’s not as massive as some recent vintages. Star anise, cinnamon and nutmeg - very much about the spice this year - this is bold and sweetly fruited, with juicy, pliable tannins and a long finish. Vines are on the Côte Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after being abandoned since 1935. La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, less than 1ha. This is only at the beginning of its 40 months in new French oak barriques.Decanter | 96 DECNotes of espresso and barrel char ride above notes of purple raspberries in the 2020 Cote Rotie La Turque. It’s full-bodied, with ample concentration and length, but it seems to lack a bit of depth compared to other recent vintages. Let’s see what next year brings.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96

One of the bigger, richer wines in the lineup, the 2021 Syrah Armada Vineyard comes from a high-density vineyard located just beside the cellar and was brought up all in demi-muids. This deeper ruby/plum-hued Syrah boasts a big, masculine bouquet of smoked red and black fruits, sauteed mushrooms, cured meats, iron, and cold fireplace nuances (it almost has a Graves-like character) that flows to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated Syrah with terrific overall balance, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with the other 2021s here, it needs lots of air to show at its best and will ideally be given 4-5 years in the cellar. It’s going to hit its 20th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDDisplaying a lighter color with a medium ruby hue, the 2021 Syrah Armada Vineyard has a spicy, complex, broad and structured nose, with fresh aromas of black cherries, blackberry skin, violets and rose blossoms. The palate, firm and food friendly, features a distinctive tannic edge that’s meant for red meats. Unmistakably Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, this is a gorgeous beauty, and I’m going back to finish the glass. The wine spent 21 months aging in a combination of new and used French oak. 7,632 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPVery structured and firmly tannic, this muscular wine comes from tightly spaced vines that give a low yield and lots of concentration. Floral and spicy aromas lead to rich, dark cocoa, blackberry and baked blueberry flavors restrained by the sandy, full tannins. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best from 2029.James Suckling | 95 JSThe Armada sails into port behind a tailwind of black cherry, wet terra-cotta, cumin and smoked pork-belly aromas. The wine’s mouthfeel is seamless and slick, allowing dried cherry, espresso and roasted red-pepper flavors to glide along. Elevated acidity keeps everything lively. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE