As with almost all of the Syrahs here, the 2020 Syrah The Deal was not destemmed, saw an extended maceration, and spent 18 months in 40% new French puncheons. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it has an incredibly floral perfume of...

Deep, dense purple/red colour, with concentrated chocolate and plum aromas and flavours, a fair degree of oak but not overdone, and a trace of reduction on the early nose. Dense, powerful, concentrated but all things in...

Inky violet color. Heady, smoke- and spice-tinged cherry, blueberry, peony and incense aromas show excellent clarity; mineral and cured meat notes build with aeration. Juicy and energetic, especially in the context of the...

(JS 94-95 points) This is a juicy and flavorful young wine with dusty and polished tannins. Lots of wild fruit and dark-berry and volcanic/salt undertones. Flavorful finish.

(VN 92-94 points) Shimmering ruby. Expressive, spice-accented red and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of olive, espresso and candied flowers. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering gently sweet...

Shiraz sourced from old vineyards in the Barossa (Krondorf, Tanunda, Marananga, Ebenezer and Moppa) and the Eden Valley. Vibrant and pure at heart with deep black plum, black cherry and boysenberry fruits, plentiful...

(VN 94-96 points) Inky violet. A wild, smoke- and spice-accented bouquet evokes kirsch, cassis, smoked meat, olive and succulent herbs, with mineral and floral notes emerging as the wine opens up. Firm, sharply etched...

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of...

Dusty rose and earth tones introduce the 2019 Syrah York Mountain, further evolving to show white pepper, kalamata olive and blackberry aromas. This is cool-toned and racy in style, savory as well, with depths of...

(VN 96-98 points) 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...

The 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn't get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and...

Inky ruby. Smoke- and mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and dark berries, pipe tobacco, olive paste, incense and vanilla, with a suave floral note building in the glass. Youthfully chewy and expansive on the palate...

More reserved but no less brilliant, the 2017 Shiraz Lily's Garden comes from the McLaren Vale and spent 18 months in just 9% new French oak. Classic Syrah notes of dark black fruits, damp herbs, scorched earth, and...

If you ever wondered why Hermitage had such a special reputation then you need to taste this towering masterpiece of this appellation. Spectacular mountain freshness as well as enormous concentration and underplayed...

Black tea, blackberry, redcurrant and sage on the nose. Full-bodied with fine, tight tannins. Bright acidity lifts up the dark-fruit profile and brings energy and drive to the lengthy palate. Ground spice and dark...

(93+ points) Seemingly refined by the additional elevage since I reviewed a barrel sample last year, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert remains a big, rich, dark-fruited and almost tarry effort, but this...

Chad Melville’s estate-grown syrah leans on the Estrella River clone, a selection that’s late to bloom and late to ripen—it is typically harvested in November, the whole clusters submitted to a cold soak, native...

(92-95 points) I tasted from two barrels seemingly destined for the 2018 Saint Joseph les Pierres. One was full-bodied, plush and long, with notes of mocha and black cherries, while the other showed explosive red fruit...

The star of the show as well as one of the wines of this great vintage, the 2019 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes all from broken granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit and was all destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and...

While just bottled a week before this tasting, the 2019 Syrah Powerline Vineyard certainly wasn't showing any worse for it, offering a stunning bouquet of ripe red and black fruits as well as white pepper, sandalwood...

The Jaboulets need little introduction, being as they are one of the leading winemaking families in this small part of the world. This Crozes-Hermitage has structure and breadth thanks to 12 months spent in new French...

(VN 96-98 points) Glass-staining ruby color. Vibrant, mineral-accented black and blue fruits, olive, exotic spices and a potent violet note on the intensely perfumed nose. Palate-staining blackberry, bitter cherry...

Incredibly dense elderberry fruit with raw-meat, smoked-bacon, balsamic-vinegar, mushroom and tar aromas. But there are plenty of other nuances in this astonishing Hermitage! Gigantic fine tannins support the wide-screen...

The 2020 Saint Joseph Les Granits brings another level of richness and depth, with a darker, almost cooler edge to its black fruits, scorched earth, and graphite, with an Hermitage-like leather note. Full-bodied on the...

(93+ points) Seemingly refined by the additional elevage since I reviewed a barrel sample last year, the 2019 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert remains a big, rich, dark-fruited and almost tarry effort, but this...

This is a smashing success. The Tua Rita 2019 Syrah Per Sempre hits it out of the ballpark thanks to its impressive richness and aromatic intensity. The grapes come from a special growing site with compact galestro soils...

Glass-staining ruby. An expansive bouquet evokes blue fruit preserves, potpourri and olive paste, and a hint of smoky bacon builds in the glass. A vibrant mineral nuance adds energetic lift to sappy boysenberry...

(VN 96-98 points) Opaque magenta. Displays an array of fresh red and dark fruit, floral and spice qualities on the intensely perfumed nose, along with building mineral and succulent herb notes. Vibrant and silky in...

One of the highlights in this range, the 2019 Syrah is gorgeous. Bright red/purplish berry fruit and floral notes race out of the glass. The 2019 was done in equal parts of cement and neutral French oak, an approach that...

Saturated magenta. Displays vibrant, mineral-accented black raspberry and cherry scents that are complemented by suggestions of olive, cracked pepper and violet. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering energetic red and...