2013 Arkenstone Syrah

From the rocky soils on their 13-acre estate, the 2013 Syrah Estate is aged 22 months in French oak prior to being bottled. Very Côte-Rôtie-like, despite the lack of any Viognier in the blend, this dense, purple-colored wine offers up meaty bacon fat and lard-like notes intermixed with cassis, black cherries, licorice and black olive tapenade. This is a chewy, ripe, deep and impressive Syrah to drink over the next 10-12 years. Every time I taste Syrahs like this I wonder why they’re not flying off the shelves, given how delicious they are out of the gate.