2015 Stolpman "Ruben's Block" Ballard Canyon Syrah (Winery Direct Library Release)

If leading with relatively open and very inviting aromas that boast an abundance of juicy, optimally ripened, berry and black cherry fruit wrapped in a judicious measure of creamy oak and accented with a distinctive touch of sweet violets, this concentrated, very rich wine shows a more serious and structured side once in the mouth that says, its immediate appeals notwithstanding, it is only just beginning to reveal all that it is. Although generous now and fairly luxurious stuff, it is never ostentatious and has an undeniable sense of reserve and as-yet-untapped potential that marks it as a long-lived Syrah that wants to be laid away for at least a half-dozen more years.