Syrah

This is a blend of 42% Syrah, 39% Carmenere, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Garnacha, 3% Malbec, 1% Tempranillo, and 1% Mourvedre.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, black pepper, black cherries and spice.  Very smooth yet varietally complex on the palate.  Light tannins.  Notes of boysenberries and black cherries with underlying char.  Long finish.  This is quite tasty.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  Nice on its own, this is even better with food.  Steak, chops or ribs off the grill is a nice choice.  

It is not clear if this is a vintage wine.  The back label states "Assemblage 2018".  It is a blend of 31% Cabernet Franc, 26% Syrah, 22% Carmenere, 11% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Made from organic grapes.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries with an interesting minty streak.  Also some black pepper and a slight floral not with a bit of air.  On the palate, medium tannins.  Notes of black cherries and black raspberries.  Some peppery notes.  Nice finish.  This improved with about an hour of air.  Somewhat complex and very interesting.  This should drink

Very impressive Syrah with about 5% Viognier added.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, white pepper, black olive and roasted meat.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the black raspberries and blueberries are intense but concentrated.  A bit of pepper and some underlying char and meatiness.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This will still get a bit better but is drinking well now.  Maybe another five years of cellaring and drink for fifteen to twenty after that.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with fattier meat dishes and stews.  

From on of the top Syrah vineyards in Santa Barbara County.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, slight bacon fat, black olives and roasted herbs.  Wonderful texture.  Juicy acidity.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with underlying char and slight dry earthiness.  This is delicious if a bit young.  This will get a bit better over the next few years.  Let it cellar for another five years and drink for ten to twelve after that.  It will drink great on its own and work well with roasted pork or even Indian food.  

This was the wine of the tasting at a recent tasting of Bulgarian wines (though they all showed well).  Globetrotting enologist Michel Rolland is the consulting winemaker at this winery.  Like many of his wines, this bold and fruit forward is going strong at age eight.  This is inky purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black olives, roasted meats and roasted veggies.  Full bodied.  Intense.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is complex.  Layers of black raspberry fruit, char and slight earthiness.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This drinks well o

Nice showing for this although still on the youthful side.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slightly meaty with b lack olives.  Full bodied.  Great liveliness.  Nice texture.  On the palate, black raspberries with underlying char and just a bit of black olives.  Nice finish.  This should continue to improve for another three to five years and drink well for ten to twelve more after that.  This drinks well on its own and even better with food.  Stews or chili is a nice choice.  

This is a blend of 50% Syrah, 34% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre checking in at 15.7% ABV.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, plums, black pepper, slight roasted herbs and meats and a bit of violets.  Full bodied.  Great lush texture but with lively acidity.  So easy to drink with no noticeable alcohol on the nose or palate.  Black raspberries over roasted earth with some herbs.  Long finish.  This is young but accessible.  It should continue to improve over the next three to seven years and drink well for another ten to fifteen after that.  It dri

Purchased on release and well cellared.  Pop and pour, the cork was stained about half way up but not compromised.  The first sip really grabs one's attention.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, lots of earthiness, black cherries and a bit of roasted meats.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Lots of vibrant fruit; black raspberries and black cherries.  Great balance.  Seems to be just about at mature peak.  Nice finish.  The bottle improved over a few hours before just starting to tail off.  Drink over the nex

At a recent tasting of United Ink Wines, this was the runaway crowd favorite.  It is a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, chocolate and slight black raspberry.  Mice mouthfeel.  Light to medium tannins.  On the palate, nice black raspberry and black cherries fruit with some chocolate.  Firm tannins on the finish.  This is delicious.  It drinks (easy).  Great on its own, this would be great with a burger or other foods off the grill.  Drink over the next five year

From Magnum.  54% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 11% Mourvedre.  Opened and allowed to breather for a few hours prior to serving.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, blueberries, char, and white pepper.  Full bodied.  Delicious.  On the palate, ever so slightly ripe/sweet black raspberries with some cassis and underlying char.  Deep.  Lush texture.  Great balance.  Long finish.  Still on the younger side of mature at least from Magnum.  Another few years and should be good for ten to fifteen more after that.  Great on its own, this  will work with ribs or full flavor