2015 Armada Vineyard Syrah

The 2015 Syrah Armada Vineyard is superb, wafting from the glass with a complex and savory bouquet of dark chocolate, peat, candied violets, plums and marinading meat. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and layered, with a deep core of sapid fruit framed by powdery, fine-grained tannins and concluding with a saline finish. Seamlessly integrated and elegant, the 2015 was harvested on September 9 and fermented with 60% to 70% whole clusters, finishing with 13.7% natural alcohol. It was matured in foudres and demi-muids, seeing 10% new oak and—as has been the case since 2011—no smaller cooperage. Jun 2018, www.robertparker.com