2014 The Contender Syrah
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Tasting notes
(13.5% alcohol; Reynvaan used one-third new oak for this wine, including a percentage of puncheons for the first time; these vines were planted in 2005): Bright ruby-red. Very dark aromas of blackberry, blueberry, crushed stone, licorice and mocha. A substantial but seamless wine with a darker fruit character than the In the Rocks Estate and The Unnamed bottlings. Harmonious acidity nicely cuts the weight of the wine. Suave, pretty, edge-free Syrah with a note of citrus fruit from the inclusion of a bit of co-fermented Marsanne. Like the In the Rocks Estate, this wine was vinified with about 20% whole clusters.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Syrah The Contender from Matt Reynvaan is a perfumed, elegant, finesse driven example of this cuvee (it's normally one of the more concentrated, burly wines in the lineup) that offers classic Old World notes of olive tapenade, smoked duck, pepper and dark black and blue fruits. Medium to full-bodied, silky and downright elegant, drink it anytime over the coming decade. This cuvee is 94% Syrah and 6% Marsanne.
Checking in as a mix of 94% Syrah and 6% Marsanne, the 2014 Syrah The Contender is another elegant, medium to full-bodied, layered wine from this estate that offers plenty of texture and length. Blackberries, violets, plums, pepper and hints of iron all emerge from this beauty, which can be enjoyed on release or cellared for a decade or more.