(WA92-94 points) The outstanding 2012 Syrah Sonoma Coast’s opaque purple color is followed by notes of apricot marmalade (5% Viognier is co-fermented in this wine), black olives, cassis and blackberries. Dense, plump, corpulent and full-bodied, this luscious, hedonistic Syrah will drink well for 7-8 years. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Both optimally ripened and youthfully tight with an attractive overlay of creamy oak to its ample, mildly peppery, blackberry fruit, Ramey’s Sonoma Coast bottling may be a bit backward at the moment but conveys a fine sense of stuffing and substance. Its early suppleness is countered by a fairly full dose of tannin, yet its fruit never falters or dries. Age is demanded rather than simply advised, and its recommendation is conditional on a good five years of patience.

Co-fermented with 5% Viognier, as is typical in all of this producer’s Syrahs, this wine offers a wild, feral intensity on the nose of black pepper, cigar box and leather. From there, it softens with well-defined layers of blueberry and blackberry, the tannins settled and structured, the wine finishing in dusty oak.

Rich, with vivid dark berry, raspberry and crushed rock accents to the firm tannins. This captures the density of the grape yet remains light-footed, graceful and refined, ending with a clean, snappy finish. Drink now through 2023. 885 cases made. — JL