Color is a very deep saturated ruby w/hint of purple.
Nose > Big, smoky, mulberry, blackberry, black-raspberry, aromatic wild black & red-cherry.
Beautiful new French oak perfume. Sweetly smoky & complex.
Violet, licorice, carraway-seed, black-cherry concentrate.
Fat, rich, complex. Creosote, beef-blood, saddle-leather, sassafras & dark-chocolate.
Palate > Big, rich, fruity & spicy. Intense, concentrated fruit.
Black-mulberry, black-raspberry, smoky saddle-leather, black wild-cherry/cherry-bark/cherry-stone.
Very black & wild fruit.
Rich tannic grip, but firm, ripe, young fruit dominates. Sappy & rich right through the finish.
Great acidity & balance. Carries its 14.8% (labeled) ABV blithely, with forceful grace, class & power.
Still some spicy, slightly peppery/chalky tannins to lose, but drinks beautifully now.
This is very much what I’m looking for in Cali Syrah.
Do Love Cali Syrah (mostly Sonoma, Sonoma Coast, a few Central coast), but the great noses don’t always follow through on the palate, especially on the intensity front.