The 2021 Syrah The Motor City Kitty is impossible to ignore. Rich and fruit-focused, it wafts up with notes of rum cake and blackberry jam complicated by black olive, rosemary and ashen stones. This opens with a balanced...

Based on 100% Syrah fermented with 100% whole clusters and brought up in neutral oak, the 2022 Syrah Donna's Block is slightly deeper ruby/plum in hue and offers up blackberries, pepper, bouquet garni, orange blossom, and...

Sleek and polished, this Syrah has multilayered raspberry and plum flavors highlighted by baking spices, savory meat and pepper. Concludes with refined tannins. Drink now through 2030. - TF

Offers a complex and savory entry of grilled rosemary, peppercorn and candied bacon, with an intense, floral black currant note underneath. Built around a rich core of brambly berries and black plum on a medium frame...

Medium ruby-purple, the 2020 Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch is scented of rhubarb, blueberries and tangerine with touches of lilac and underbrush. The palate is delicate and bright, with bursts of acidity elevating its...

94+ An inky purple color, the 2022 Syrah Papa's Block is expressive with notes of blackberry compote, candied lavender, sappy herbs and forest earth. Full-bodied, its fleshy, ripe structure builds a touch on the palate...

From the Soberanes Vineyard, the 2022 Syrah The Initiation was matured for 15 months in 75% new French oak. It has savory, sanguine aromas of bacon fat, woodsmoke and iron over pure blackcurrant fruit. The full-bodied...

Savory and zesty, with a sinewy core of tannins framed by blackberry, espresso, licorice and smoked beef flavors that build density and tension on the finish. Best from 2026 through 2035. - TF

Polished and expressive, offering generous flavors of black raspberry accented with coffee bean, licorice and smoked pepper tones that glide toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 346 cases made.

Generous yet elegant in structure, with polished flavors of raspberry and blackberry that take on savory pepper and mocha espresso notes as this builds richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2033. —T.F.

Generous and brimming with fruit, this shows a subtle floral twinge amid its raspberry and Santa Rosa plum flavors. There’s also firm, minerally acidity lending some backbone as this finishes with structured tannins...

Brooding and deeply structured, yet retains a sense of finesse, offering blackberry and blueberry flavors framed by smoked meat, licorice and cracked pepper. Best from 2024 through 2031. —T.F.

The 2021 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard is explosive, with an intense bouquet of incense, lavender, cedar shavings, dried orange peels and red plums. Nearly creamy in feel, this possesses a core of cooling acidity that...

Brooding and deeply structured but not ponderous, with expressive flavors of blueberry and raspberry highlighted by licorice, black olive and savory meat tones as this builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink...

Aromas of forest berries with some subtle cloves. Fresh thyme and sage. Full to medium body. Very fine tannins. Crushed stone and herbs. Hints of spicy dark chocolate. Drink or hold.

Ripe black cherry, blackberry and whole and ground peppercorn on the nose. Full-bodied with fine, taught tannins. There is excellent depth and richness here with toasted black fruit and notes of leather and dried rose...

As with almost all of the Syrahs here, the 2020 Syrah The Deal was not destemmed, saw an extended maceration, and spent 18 months in 40% new French puncheons. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it has an incredibly floral perfume of...

This is a pretty challenging but ultimately fascinating cool-climate Syrah. It begins with funky aromas of charred tobacco, kelp and herb on the nose. The palate also show seaweed alongside a dark plum base, and the...

This cool-climate Syrah starts with aromas of peppercorn, bay leaf, eucalyptus oil, toasted wood, potting soil and dark fruit. The peppery palate offering tar, crushed asphalt and rich, dark-fruit flavors. Matt Kettmann

Looking at the three Syrahs, these are all incredible efforts that go screaming past anything else even close to this price point. The 2012 Syrah Estate Verna’s offers a vibrant purple color to go with a full-bodied...

The 2018 Syrah shows the cooler nature of the vintage, with bright, juicy, yet savory notes of red and darker berry fruits intermixed with plenty of peppery herbs and floral notes. These carry to a medium-bodied, elegant...