Wine Front: The overarching impression it gives you is one of balance. It's impeccable. Blue fruit, licorice, a little pepper and earth with a gentle charry sauciness. Oak is downplayed t...

Wine Spectator: An exotic and flashy red, with bold espresso, melted licorice, incense and black tea aromatics rushing forth, backed by dense but focused noted of blackberry and plum pâte de ...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Given the performance of his recent Pinots - not to mention allowing for this being but the second vintage from its vines (four clones plus heirloom Stags' Leap selections, al...

About this Wine: This wine should drink well for the next 10-15 years.

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright purple. A compelling, heady bouquet of red and dark berries, violets, Szechuan peppercorn and smoky minerals. Sappy and precise, offering palate-staining raspberry pr...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Very deep purple-black colored, the 2009 Autograph Shiraz is intensely scented of creme de cassis, black cherry preserves and dried plums with hints of fruit cake, baking spic...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright purple. Blackberry and cassis scents are complicated by notes of game, black pepper and bitter chocolate. Spicy dark fruit flavors show good concentration and focus, ...

Wine Spectator: A ripe, flattering style, with lots of boysenberry, fig and raspberry preserves notes laced with toasted spice, fruitcake and licorice snap. Starts overt, but finely beaded ac...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Deep ruby. Potent aromas of dark berries and cherry, with a strong mineral element and notes of licorice and black tea. In a brooding style, with intense, mineral-accented b...

Wine Spectator: Rich and deep, this is a beautifully focused Shiraz that glides rather than stomps, offering a cascade of cherry, blackberry, mint and verbena flavors, with a hint of licorice...

Wine Spectator: Dark and brooding, this red is dense with smoky, meaty black cherry and dried tomato flavors, swirling smoothly through the long, complex finish. Shows tremendous power, but l...

Wine Spectator: Polished, dense and succulent, with dead-ripe cherry, plum, aniseed and chocolate flavors mingling effortlessly, deftly supported by lively acidity and framed with fine tannin...

Wine Spectator: This opulent red offers a welcome savory note weaving through its ripe cherry, red plum and black tea flavors. A glint of roasted meat and sassafras adds complexity to the lon...

About this Wine: The Shanel Syrah, which was the basis of the Sonoma Coast bottling in 2004 and 2005, is gone after the 2010 vintage, and starting with the 2007 has been blended with Rodgers C...

Wine Spectator: Features a rich medley of dark berry, charcoal, espresso and beef carpaccio, with the melted licorice and mocha core occupying center stage. Features chewy tannins. Best from ...

Wine Enthusiast: You had better love big, burly, meaty reds if you’re going to dig this Syrah, which is ultraripe and lush. The raisiny aroma is almost heavy, while the palate is big but not e...

Wine Spectator: Delivers a pure, rich, spicy mix of peppery wild berry, cedar, dried herb and underbrush flavors, firming nicely on the long, full finish. Drink now through 2022. –JL