2017 Force Majeure Syrah SJR Vineyard

Deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, black olive tapenade, licorice, brown spices and a hint of cinders; I might have guessed Cornas if I tasted this blind. Sweet, dense and highly concentrated if still quite primary. Dark berry flavors are joined by smoked, spiced meats and black olive, which give the wine a distinctly saline quality. Thick and solid in the early going but wonderfully plush and sweet, and consistent from start to finish. Finishes primary but creamy, with ripe tannins and building, palate-staining saline length. The pH here is a very high 4.1, but with 5.9 grams per liter acidity, this wine hardly lacks for energy. This Syrah will be outrageously good early on, but I'd still give it another year in the cellar. (all destemmed; aged in 35% new 400- and 500-liter French oak barrels)

With an expressive nose, the 2017 Syrah SJR Vineyard has a generous and clean core of black and dark red fruit—black cherry, blackberry liqueur and black peppercorn with dusty violets. The wine is full-bodied and has deep concentration on the palate, revealing elegant oak tones that merge into soft spice notes and structured tannins. The finish is long and complex, showing a wine that is concentrated and mineral-driven, showing just a touch spicier than the previous vintage. The finish shows great length and depth for the small 95-case production.