2015 The Tribe Vineyard Syrah

(from an Alban massale selection of Syrah planted at a density of 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 feet in 2009; the 2015 Horsepower wines were bottled in December of 2017): Good medium red. Musky black raspberry, truffle and game on the nose, lifted by high notes of mint and herbs. At once tactile and penetrating, displaying more punch and inner-mouth floral lift than the Sur Echalas vineyard Syrah. But this juicy wine is still youthfully imploded. Finishes firmly tannic, with black pepper and spice notes and a persistent saline character. Very promising. (13.6% alcohol)

(from an Alban massale selection of Syrah planted at a density of 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 feet in 2009, the 2015 Horsepower wines were bottled in December of 2017). Good medium red. Musky black raspberry, truffle and game on the nose, lifted by high notes of mint and herbs. At once tactile and penetrating, displaying more punch and inner-mouth floral lift than the Sur Echalas vineyard Syrah. But this juicy wine is still youthfully imploded. Finishes firmly tannic, with black pepper and spice notes and a persistent saline character. Very promising. (13.6% alcohol)

Of these three offerings from Horsepower, the 2015 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard will require the most time, as it's the most tight-knit at this early stage, slowly unwinding in the glass with savory aromas of raw cocoa, tapenade, nori and ripe blackberries. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a rich chassis of satiny structuring tannins and a layered, umami-laden core of fruit. At 13.6% alcohol, it's also beautifully balanced.