2016 Sur Echalas Vineyard Syrah

Medium red with moderate saturation. Syrah aromas in a distinctly wild Old World direction: black raspberry, olive tapenade, roasted meat, crushed stone. Concentrated and savory in the mouth, conveying a captivating hint of sweetness to its flavors of dark berries, brown spices, smoked meat and black pepper. Finishes with spicy, dusty tannins and excellent salty persistence. With its combination of power, intensity and weightlessness, this wine should evolve gracefully in the bottle. (vinified with 75% whole clusters)

From the first sniff, you know this is a special wine. The 2016 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard pops with a blackberry-scented nose and impressive, seductive Syrah tones reticent of the Northern Rhône, with a soft smokiness and mineral edge, warn leather and soft ashiness that lingers on with aromas of crushed violets. There are a noticeable stemmy and black pepper tones on the nose and palate that command my attention. This is a beautifully balanced expression that manages to focus on the elegant side of Syrah, without over-extracting, over-oaking or possessing screaming high alcohol, and the finish is long and contemplative with balanced tannins and structuring acidity—this will age beautifully for decades to come! There is a reason why Christophe Baron and crew are captivating the world's attention when it comes to the Rhône varietals. Only 267 cases made.

This opens with a nutty, stony and sappy feel thanks to stalky elements (80% whole clusters here). The palate has a very plush feel with a core of such pure blackcurrants, spiced blueberries and blue plums. Smooth fine tannins. There’s understated fruit density here, as with the grenache from the same, high-density planted vineyard.