These three wines were tasted on 6/16 with a small group of wine geeks.
2013 Chave St. Joseph
This estate-bottled St. Joseph from a vineyard many experts feel is the finest of the appellation, is a youthful purple color with an expressive nose of smoked meat and black fruits. On the palate it reveals enough structure to permit considerable cellaring, a solid acid backbone, potential complexity, and a dense, lengthy finish. Impressive. My score 91+
2005 Pax Syrah, Alder Springs Vineyard, Mendocino
At 12 years of age, this impressive Syrah has evolved aromatically and on the palate yet remains youthful with considerably more aging potential. Medium purple in color with a stylish nose of black fruit, flowers, and a hint of toast, on the palate it exhibits excellent depth, a supple palate feel, and good balance. Its finish is lengthy and flavorful. The wine can be enjoyed now but is likely to have more to offer in another 3-5 years. My score 93 points
2009 Blue-Eyed Boy Shiraz, South Australia, Sparky & Sarah Marquis
The most evolved of these three wines, this Shiraz is in the prototypical style of the best offerings from Barossa and McLaren Vale. Still purple in color, it offers up a pleasing nose of spicy black fruits and bacon. Dense on the palate with layers of ripe fruit and solid depth, it has a lengthy, ripe finish. Short on complexity but long on pleasure, there is no reason to further cellar this tasty effort. My score 90 points
In short, these are three totally different styles of Syrah but all with merit.
DoctorJay