2015 IX Estate Syrah

I compared the 2015 Syrah IX Estate to an Hermitage from Chapoutier on release, and I stand by that comparison today. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of darker berries, ground pepper, candied violets, and cured meats, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful freshness, and a great finish. It’s drinking beautifully today yet has another 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

The 2015 Syrah is a total knock-out. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, rose petal and mint are some of the notes that race out of the glass, but here, too, it is the wine's stunning textural richness that stands out most. Full-throttle and intense in every dimension, the 2015 captivates all the senses with its magnificent, towering beauty. I would prefer to cellar the 2015 for at least a few years, but even today, in its primary stage, the 2015 is phenomenal.

Very deep garnet-purple, the 2015 IX Syrah Estate opens with intense crushed black cherries, black plums and mulberries with underlying black pepper, peppered salami, violets and chocolate box plus a lovely star anise and sandalwood waft. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and wonderfully soft and sexy, it gives tons of perfumed black fruit and spice cake layers, finishing very long.