Syrah

This is 97% Syrah with 3% viognier cofermented from the Powerline Vineyard.  This drinks in the style of the Northern Rhone but with a new world flair that works.  It should improve with a few years of cellaring.  Ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives and a nice minerality lurking in the backround.  On the palate, this is softer in texture.  Nice black raspberry fruit, slight black pepper and underlying char.  Slight tannins that come out more with air.  Good finish.  This needs heartier foods but has the acidity to work well them.  

Stunning bottle of wine.  100% Syrah.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black pepper, a nice earthy note.  With air, some black olives emerge along with a nice mineral backbone.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Black raspberries, black licorice, and underlying char and minerals.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  This is intense, and concentrated and will need a few years to really open up but it is drinking great today.  It needs hearty or spiced foods.  Fantastic with upside.  

Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black raspberries, and sandal wood.  Also an herbal note that was hard to describe.  A fellow taster said green olives and that is not too far off.  On the palate, the Syrah seem to dominate although this is an 80/20 blend of Cabernet and Syrah.  Black raspberries, an underlying char and some black olive notes.  A very nice texture although a bit soft.  The finish is a bit bitter black raspberry but not in a bad way.  Overall, an excellent wine.  It improved with air and more Cab notes seem to come out.  It will be interesting to see how this ages.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries and black olives.  On the palate, this is very Northern Rhonish.  Black raspberry, nice depth.  Some complexity.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This needs time and there is a chance for upside improvement.  Right now it is a big, energetic young wine.  It will need bigger (meaty) to pair with.

Purple in color.  The nose is very tight.  With air, black raspberry jam and some spice.  On the palate, this has a lot of black raspberry fruit but the finish is a bit clipped.  Soft texture.  OK finish.  This is a very solid wine, but it is having some trouble ageing.  It retailed for $70 on release and was probably a bit better back then.  Perhaps some slow airing will give it some time to come together.  It needs big meat dishes for food pairings.  

Inky purple in color and shiny bright.  The nose has clay and black raspberries.  On the palate, this is tight but with air, it unwinds in the glass.  Black raspberry fruit.  Slight tannins.  Nice finish.  Needs bigger foods.  This retails for $55.  It needs a couple more years to settle down or give it a few years of a decant.  

Purple in color but a bit flat, ruby at the rim.  The nose is tight at first, then shows a bit of aquarium notes.  To me this seems to be from extended shelving in a retail setting (not sure why).  On the palate, I found this a bit tired but a nice wine.  Black raspberry fruit.  Good balance.  OK finish.  To me, this seemed like a good wine if a bit past prime.  But, this was consumed as part of a larger blind tasting of Australian Shiraz.  Whereas, I may have found it lacking a bit, the group thought it was their Wine of the Night including two first and one second place votes.  Wine is su

Inky purple in color, shiny and bright.  The nose has black raspberries and clay.  Someone mentioned butterscotch and that works as well.  On the palate, this has lots of black raspberry fruit and a "sandpaper" taste, if that makes sense.  Good finish.  Overall, this has a lot of fruit and oak, but if that is ok with you, this is a nice wine.  It needs bigger foods to pair with.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose is very tight on this.  With time, blueberries and black raspberries with slight saw dust notes.  On the palate, this has plums and black raspberries.  Very smooth with little tannins.  Good balance.  Easy drinking.  This retails for $20 and is a good value and nice for parties.  It would work with bigger or meat based dishes.  

Purple, ruby at the rim.  There is a bit of barnyard funk here.  Also some black raspberry fruit.  On the palate, there are firm tannins in this young wine, but there is also a nice silkiness to the texture.  Black cherry fruit.    Good balance.  This will work with bigger foods.  This retails for $20 and is an excellent value.  A little air will help at this point or some short term cellaring (3 years).