The aromas leap out of the glass. Wet earth, tapenade, green peppercorns, volcanic ash and tea leaves. Hints of orange peel. It’s electric on the palate, so savory, so earthy and so minerally, with stemmy and tea-like...

The 2016 Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard has classic Rhône-inspired markers of savory cured meats, black pepper, lavender, and black plum. It displays richness without weight and has fine structure throughout. Drink 2022-2035.

I’ve never before smelled a wine like this. The captivating aromas are amazing, with lavender, sage, dried potpourri, blackberries, tar, pepper and black licorice. Full-bodied with super tannins that fan out and caress...

(VN 93-95 points) Full, bright-rimmed violet. Highly fragrant cherry and black raspberry scents, along with suggestions of pipe tobacco, olive, peony and baking spices. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering...

A tasting of component barrels for this wine made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid...

Moving to the three Hermitage releases, the 2020 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes offers a deep, saturated purple hue as well as a powerful bouquet of scorched earth, creosote, peppered meat, liquid violets, and both black...

This is cool-climate Syrah at its finest, full of energy, umami and spice. Concentrated aromas of boysenberry and white and black pepper make a juicy nose. The palate wraps generous, complex flavors of berry, rosemary and...

All of the classic Cote-Rotie aromas (leather, smoked bacon, spices and black cherry) pour from the glass of this rich and fleshy wine. Very silky texture, in spite of the generous, fine tannins, which build beautifully...

(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...

My favorite release from this estate is consistently their Les Bessards Hermitage, and their 2019 is no exception. Coming from the western part and pure broken granite soils on the west side of this magical hill, it...

(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 2019 Syrah Estate has 2% Viognier co-fermented and underwent 18% whole-cluster fermentation. Dark currants, coffee grounds and violets all fill the nose, along with herbal undertones. The densely concentrated palate...

Last of the 2018s, the 2018 Hermitage Ex Voto shows a riper, more sunny profile and has a killer nose of ripe blackberries, cassis, spice, game, woodsmoke, and bacon fat. The tannins from Hermitage always have a different...

(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...

Layered aromas of plums, black cherries, leather, bark and iron. Full-bodied with a lot of nuance. Firm, gripping tannins. Dried roses and crushed blackberries mix with dark, mineral complexity, leaving a buzz on the...

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...

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...

Opaque ruby. Mineral-accented blackberry, cherry, smoked meat and olive aromas show fine detail and a spicy black pepper flourish. Energetic cherry and red and dark berry flavors are complemented by a candied violet...

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...

Waves of charred sandalwood, white pepper, sage, liqourice root, juicy black fruits and balanced acidities giving plenty of freshness and a slow burn finish. You can already see just how slowly this wine ages, as even at...

(95+ points) Similarly deep purple-hued, the 2020 Cornas Terre Brulee has a darker, slightly richer, yet less complex style that also warrants bottle age. Offering more black fruits, scorched earth, burning embers, and...

(VN 95-97 points) Dark purple. Vibrant, expansive aromas of spice-accented dark berries, minerals and candied flowers pick up suggestions of olive, vanilla and smoky bacon with air. Sappy and energetic in style, offering...

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...

Chapoutier's La Mordoree cuvee is produced from 75-80-year old Syrah vines planted in both the Cote Blonde and Cote Brune aged in 100% new oak casks and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. The 1999 Cote Rotie La...

Inky ruby. Expressive dark fruit aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied flowers, olive and candied licorice, and a bright mineral nuance adds vivacity. Fleshy and open-knit, offering appealingly sweet blueberry...

Dark and winey, with a grippy, brambly frame and a solid core of raspberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit. The backdrop reveals lots of anise, bay and black tea notes. Still backward, with an ironclad finish, this...

This 100% Syrah opens with black-skinned berry, cedar and green peppercorn aromas. On the concentrated palate, fine-grained tannins support ripe black currant, tobacco and licorice. Drink through 2026. KERIN O’KEEFE

Very enticing, showing a plump core of dark currant and blackberry preserve flavors, with ganache, anise and savory hints providing nice contrast from start to finish. Nice streamlined finish. Drink now through 2030...

Wild herbs with a grilled tarragon note, white pepper and violets to the blue fruit and black cherries. A hint of iodine and seaweed. Concentrated and really refined on the palate with super polished tannins. Ultra-long...