2017 Reynvaan Family Syrah Foothills In the Sun Reserve
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Tasting notes
Acting like a little brother to their Syrah In the Hills bottling, the 2017 Syrah Foothills Reserve explodes out of the glass with power and prestige. Aromas of freshly cracked black peppercorn, soft worn leather, olive tapenade and dusty lavender are aromatically lifted by high-toned red fruits of wild strawberry, lush and juicy cherry and smoked rhubarb on the nose. Medium-bodied but stuffed to the brim with the profile of Syrah, it seemingly overflows with flavors of smoked meat, black raspberry, spiced red plum compote and black pepper. The wine continues to evolve with persistence for more than a minute on the long-lingering finish. I can’t put this glass down. Stunning!
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The dense ruby/plum-hued 2017 Foothills Reserve checks in as all Syrah and comes from a vineyard located around the estate. Aged 11 months in 25% new French oak, it offers Cote Brune-like notes of blackcurrants, graphite, ground pepper, and cured meats. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Syrah that has beautiful fruit, bright, juicy acidity, fine tannins, and solid length on the finish. It's a beautiful, elegant, and oh, so classic Syrah that needs 3-4 years of bottle age yet will evolve for at least a decade.
Bright, dark red. Knockout ripe aromas of blackberry, licorice and black olive tapenade, plus a hint of bitter chocolate and high notes of creosote, black pepper and resiny herbs. Penetrating, dense, lively and rather elegant, with strong acidity framing the flavors of crushed dark berries and iodine. This, too, strikes me as both wilder and less thick than its 2016 predecessor. Finishes tightly wound, firmly tannic and very long, with a distinctly salty quality and a hint of black pepper. This reminded me a bit of a Verset Cornas from a reasonably cool year; it gained in sweetness with extended aeration.