This annually anticipated bottling offers a blend of Doug Margerum's top barrels from a variety of vineyards. In this vintage, aromas of baking spice and red fruit come with minty sagebrush lift. Herbs, from oregano to dried thyme, play a central role on the palate, with red cherry fruit and a tighter, tart plum skin finish, proving slightly lighter in style.

90+ One of the flagship releases from Margerum is the 2012 Syrah Uber, which sees a long, wild fermentation with grapes added over time as the different vineyards are harvested. In this case, it resulted in a 45-day maceration. Aged 20 months in mostly new French oak and never racked, it has more obvious oak than the Colson Canyon release and gives up blacker fruits, pepper, dried flowers and toasted spice. Slightly angular and edgy at the moment, I like its concentration and structure. Give it a year or two, and plan on drinking bottles through 2024. - Jeb Dunnuck