The 2016 Syrah Papa's Block comes from the Russian River Valley and saw 22% whole clusters and 23% new French oak. Inky saturated purple-colored, with sensational notes of blackberries, ground pepper, crushed rocks, and smoked earth, it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied, layered, seamless style that has to be tasted to be believed. This sensational, blockbuster-styled Syrah stays light and elegant on the palate, with no sense of heaviness or coarseness. It has good acidity, notable tannin, and should benefit from short-term cellaring.

Made up of 100% Syrah, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Syrah Papa's Block comes bounding out of the glass with gregarious crushed blackcurrants and black plums with touches of dried herbs, black pepper, aniseed and tilled soil plus a waft of underbrush. Full-bodied with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and a lively line supporting the generous fruit, it has a very long, savory finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown