2011 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

(14.9% alcohol): Deep, bright ruby. Fruit-driven aromas of dark berries, violet, espresso and pepper. Then supple and silky but at the same time juicy and cool in the mouth, showing lovely sweetness to its dark berry and pepper flavors. This wine actually has the highest pH and lowest acidity of any vintage of the 2000s, in spite of the difficult, cool year. But then the fruit was harvested well before the troublesome October rains. Finishes with very suave, sweet tannins and plenty of energy, leaving an aroma of white pepper in the empty glass.

The 2011 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard flows across the palate with gorgeous depth. The 2011 is rich, round and expressive, which is unusual for the year, but typical of this St. Helena site. Layers of fruit build to a rich, layered finish loaded with class and nuance. The intensity of the fruit makes the 2011 approachable, but there is plenty of Petite structure to ensure many years of fine drinking.

(bottled two days before my visit): Aromas of blueberry, licorice and bitter chocolate are a bit stunted by the bottling. Juicy, primary and tight, offering black fruit, bitter chocolate and espresso flavors framed by firm minerality. There's a creaminess lurking today but currently this wine is dominated by its sappy lift. Finishes very long and sweet, with noble tannins. This is carrying a relatively low 3.5 pH and appears to be built for a slow evolution in bottle.