2013 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate

The 2013 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate was my favorite of these reds from Qupé, unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, plums, violets, petroleum jelly, dark chocolate and cracked pepper. On the palate, the wine is supple, velvety and medium to full-bodied, with lots of peppery, crunchy fruit and good juicy acidity, as well as excellent concentration and length. This saw some 50% new oak, but it has already digested it and seems ready to evolve attractively for the next fifteen years.

The 2013 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate is powerful, rich and unctuous. Now with a few years in bottle, the 2013 offers lovely aromatic complexity, making it an excellent choice for drinking now. The wine is built on serious fruit intensity, while more varietal Syrah aromatics are pushed into the background, but even so, there is plenty to like.

Reminding me of a solid St Joseph, the 2013 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate (100% Syrah aged 20 months in Burgundy barrels) is a peppery, black cherry, earth and olive-scented beauty that has medium-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity and a fine, elegant, streamlined texture. Give it a few years and enjoy bottles over the following decade.