2016 DeLille Cellars Syrah Grand Ciel

Bright ruby-red. Pungent violet lift to the slightly liqueur-like aromas of crushed blueberry and boysenberry. Quite thick, dense and savory, showing no easy sweetness to its concentrated flavors of black fruits, licorice and violet. Even more fruity and less meaty than the Signature Syrah but then this wine is still quite tightly wound and backward, and there's almost certainly more complexity to come. Finishes very fine-grained and long, with tannins in harmony with the wine's fruit. (entirely destemmed in 2016; aged in 30% new barriques)

The 2016 Syrah Grand Ciel is a pure expression with a black-fruited core of aromas on the nose, with rich and firm spices, black pepper and just-ripe black plum and cassis. Full-bodied, the wine is still firm and rigid with expressive blackberries on the palate, with a density to the mid-palate. The wine ends with grippy tannins and a structured, lingering spice on the long finish. It's youthful and still hard at present. Give it some time to come around in the cellar. Only 300 cases were made and which will blossom with cellar age.

The flagship Syrah is the 2016 Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard, which comes all from clone 383 and was brought up in 25-30% new French oak. It’s a smoky, meaty, gamey Syrah that has tons to love. Blackberries, ground pepper, and olive notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated yet seamless Syrah that has beautifully integrated tannins, acidity, and fruit. It’s great today and is going to evolve for at least a decade.