Syrah

What an amazing wine.  One of the GREAT wines of the 21st century so far.  Certainly in contention for the best!  Yes, that is how good it is.  Still youthful, it is starting to round into maturity but not quite.  Purple in color.  The nose is intoxicating.  One of those wines you could sniff all night without even sipping.  Black raspberries, decayed meats (in a good way), roasted meats, slight bacon fact, white pepper and violets.  On the palate, this is seamless.  Juicy black raspberries, layers of fruit, charred earth, leather.  Some spice.  Lots of energy and almost weightless yet powe

Purple in color.  The nose is intense with black raspberries, charred meat and black pepper.  On the palate, this is tight and concentrated.  Pin point black raspberries with underlying char.  It opens a bit in the glass.  Very deep, with air it unwinds in the glass.  Not opulent but by no means shy either.  Good finish.  Needs big or spicy foods but great on its own.  Lots of alcohol but not noticeable in the wine.  

2007 was the best vintage for Saxum up to now.  And, that is saying a lot.  This was just stunning.  It is in a great place right now, but, depending on the bottle, not quite at peak.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, black cherries, slight cedar and spice and bits of plums and peppers.  On the palate, this is lively yet weightless.  Almost seamless.  Delicious with energetic black raspberries, black cherries and underlying charred meats.  Long finish.  Great with heavier or spicy foods.  Each sip makes one want another.  

Screw capped.  This retails for around $35.  It is really very good.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black olives and a bit of black pepper.  On the palate, this has a nice sinewy texture.  Light tannins.  It is drinking quite well right now but no hurry.  Black raspberry fruit.  Good acidity.  Slight complexity.  Nice finish.  This will work with a wide variety of foods.  Drink now thru 2023.  

This is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Grenache.  It is a very drinkable wine that lists 13.5% Alc.  It retails for around $10 and this is a great value.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, cocoa and plums.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet.  Light tannins.  A nice varietal complexity.  Tart acidity. Long finish.  This probably should be drunk in the next few years.  Will work with a wide variety of foods.  Easy drinking and fun.  

This was quite good.  Not as big or expressive as expected.  In fact, it drinks very Northern Rhone-ish.   Purple in color.  On the nose there is black raspberries, slight bacon fat, slight violets and underlying minerality.  Nice texture.  Layers unwind in the glass.  Though still tight, there is a nice complexity with black raspberry fruit and crushed dusty rocks.  Nice acidity as well.  Should continue to improve for a while and be good for a couple of decades after that.  

Purple in color with ruby swirls.  This was tight but opened quickly to show black raspberries, slight roasted meats and a bit of pepper.  On the palate, this has a silky texture.  Black cherries.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This is probably as good as this gets but should be nice drinking for five years.  At $25 retail, this is fairly priced.  Will work with medium and heavier foods.  

This is a great value for around $20.  Having had it in multiple vintages, it is very consistent.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is dusty with black raspberries, black pepper and some cedar.  A bit of roasted meat as well.  On the palate, this is big and fruity but there is also depth and complexity.  Bright acidity.  Good finish.  This will work with big or spicy foods.  It should last for 5 to 8 years but probably won't get better.  That's ok, it is really good today.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with black raspberries and some roasted meats.  On the palate, this has sweet black raspberry fruit.  It approaches cloying but not quite.  Also some blueberries.  This is a big jammy fruit filled wine.  It will probably a difficult food match but drinks easy and great on its own.  Hard to say how long it will age but drinking in the next five years should be safe.  

Purple with ruby swirls.  The nose is tight on opening but reveals smoky black raspberries.  On the palate, this is sweet black raspberry fruit.  It has a nice complexity to it and is more "elegant" than a fruit bomb.  Drinking quite well, it will probably still improve with good cellaring.  Food friendly for most foods.  Nice finish.  It retails for around $60.