2016 Syrah Wine

Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: This is an awesome expression of cool climate Syrah, with rosemary-crusted lamb chops, peppercorns, asphalt and elderberry-jam aromas starting the show. The palate is intense with cracked pepper, bay leaf, rosemary oil...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 100 points: Aged entirely in barriques (25% new), the 2016 Ermitage le Pavillon shows only a hint of warm pencil shavings on the nose, beautifully setting up notes of fresh blackcurrants. Full-bodied, concentrated and plush across...

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: (JS 97-98 points) Very spicy and peppery with blue-granite aromas plus hints of grilled and smoked meat. Cloves and nutmeg. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a super spicy finish that almost burns with so much...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: From the deeper soils at the bottom of the Le Méal lieu-dit, the 2016 Ermitage Les Gréffieux was all destemmed and saw its normal 18 months in a mix of Burgundy barrels and demi-muids, with just 25% being new. This is a...

Vinous, 95 points: The 2016 The Big Easy is fabulous. Rich, powerful and flamboyant to its core the Big Easy hits the palate with tremendous fruit intensity. Super-ripe red cherry, raspberry jam, white chocolate, vanillin and new American...

jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: On another level, the inky colored 2016 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from the granite hillside just beside Hermitage hill and is more Hermitage than Crozes. It has a huge nose of currants, smoked earth, graphite...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: Looking even better than it did last year, now that it's in the bottle, Chapoutier's 2016 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is impressive indeed. Classy notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings are joined by floral hints of violets...

jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: Readers wanting to understand pure granite soils need to taste the inky blue/black-colored 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite, as just sticking your nose in the glass is enough to instantly transport you to this magical hillside...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: (96 points) A wine that stood out in my Paso Robles tasting was the 2013 Syrah Nuts and Bolts. Made from 100% Syrah that saw 16 months in 70% new French oak, it's the greatest vintage of this cuvee I've tasted and it...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: While the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs get most of the love from this terrific estate, don’t miss their Syrahs! The 2016 Syrah Wild Mountainside is a power-packed, deep, rich, concentrated beauty that offers sensational...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: Attractively bright and fresh on the nose, the 2016 Ermitage le Meal is full-bodied yet creamy and supple in feel. Because of its greater level of ripeness, Chapoutier explains that it's aged in 50% demi-muids to lessen...

Wine Spectator, 93 points: Plump and rich, yet balanced, with a vibrant core of complexity, offering expressive dark berry, smoky anise and mocha espresso flavors that persist toward firm tannins. Best from 2020 through 2026. — T.F.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: The 2016 RWT Shiraz is Penfolds's embodiment of Barossa Valley Shiraz. Aged in French oak (72% new), it offers hints of vanilla and cedar, but more than anything, it showcases the region's bold berry and plum fruit...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: The base 2016 Cornas from Robert is a killer wine that shows the style of the vintage as well as the quality of the estate brilliantly. Crème de cassis, blackberries, smoked earth, spice, and hints of meatiness all flow...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: Lastly, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal is the top wine from Ferraton, and rightly so, as it’s a magical wine in 2016. Rocking notes of black raspberries, blackberries, toasted spices, tapenade, and dry aged beef all emerge...