2011 Syrah Wine

Wine Spectator, 95 points: This has a gorgeous mouthfeel, with a velvety yet racy edge allowing the dark plum, black cherry compote, anise, iron and dark olive notes to unfurl through the long finish. Should age well. Best from 2016 through 2026. – JM

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: Tasted from bottle, the 2011 Hermitage sports a ruby/purple color to go with an awesome bouquet of sweet cassis, dried flowers, spice-box, ground pepper and crushed stone. One of the more serious, focused and structured...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: A wine I rated 92 just last year, the 2011 Cotes Catalanes Secret de Schistes has come on like gang busters and has extraordinary notes of kirsch, chocolate, cured meats, wild herbs and olive. Just as good on the palate...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Moving to the 2011s, these are all superb and possess classic Cornas characteristics without any rusticity or coarseness (which is becoming more the norm in the appellation than not). Layered and reasonably approachable...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Also inky colored, full-bodied and seriously rich, the 2011 Hermitage boasts knockout aromas and flavors of blueberry, creme de cassis, plum pit, scorched earth and crushed rock. Dense, concentrated, yet also voluptuously...

James Halliday, 94 points: 119-year-old vines have produced a shiraz with very good colour; the bouquet offers leather, spice and dark chocolate, the rippling black and red fruit flavours with exactly the right amount of fine tannins, 20 months in...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: 98+ As expected, the 2011 Ermitage l’Ermite, which comes from the lieu-dit of the same name, is more backward and focused, with a slightly closed, tight profile. Slowly giving up ample cassis and black raspberry fruit...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The first vintage for the 2011 Syrah Cattle King, it’s a blend of 100% Syrah that’s all from Snipes mountain AVAs and vines planted in 2001. Offering up fabulous purity, with notes of black cherry, big minerality, earth...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: Also superb, with slightly more freshness and focus than the Francois De Tournon, but not as much richness or depth, the 2011 Saint Joseph Sainte Epine gives up beautiful, Syrah-driven aromas of violets, new leather...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: More sexy and flamboyant, the 2011 Saint Joseph Les Granits showed similar to last year, with loads of kirsch, blackberry, rose petal, spring flowers and hints of meatiness giving way to a full-bodied, sweetly fruited...

Wine Spectator, 94 points: Very focused, with a lovely beam of lightly steeped red currant, bitter cherry and plum fruit flavors that glides atop singed cedar, black tea and dried star anise notes. The long finish is very fine-grained. A gorgeous...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: More substantial, with a meaty, muscular feel, the 2011 Cote Rotie La Landonne exhibits lots of olive tapenade, underbrush, crushed rock and blackberry-styled fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, nicely concentrated...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: 2011 was of course a difficult, uncharacteristically rainy vintage in South Australia and particularly Barossa, but thanks to Penfolds’ privileged position with access to some of the region’s best fruit, they have...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98 points: Similar to the '12 and showing the generosity and warmth of this site, the 2011 Ermitage le Meal is another sexy wine that's just hard to resist. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's slightly more red fruit-driven with...