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Aromas of blood plums, violets, licorice, spices and dried herbs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a generous mouthfeel framed by finely extracted tannins and bright acidity. There’s tension to the wine and persistent purity of fruit in the finish. California's nod to the northern Rhone at the highest level. 100% whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold.

Lastly, the 2022 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard comes from a site on the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills and was destemmed and raised in one-third new barrels for 17 months. Ripe red and blue fruits, cracked black pepper, sappy flowers, violets, and some Cornas-like gaminess all emerge from this beauty, and it's fabulous on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. It's a brilliant Syrah to drink any time over the coming decade.

Bid on this 2-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1986 E. Guigal "La Mouline" Côte-Rôtie (94WS, 91RP, 90ST) and 1-bottle of 1987 E. Guigal "La Mouline" Côte-Rôtie. Of the 1986 E. Guigal "La Mouline" Côte-Rôtie, Wine Spectator writes: "Very firm and still young. The toasty, spicy oak flavors are beautifully balanced by lush berry and plum notes. (TM)" (11/1995)

Bid on this magnum of 2011 Lillian "Gold Series #1" California Syrah (1.5L).

Bid on this bottle of 1979 Penfolds "Grange" Shiraz South Australia (94WS). Wine Spectator: "Big and broad, it's gloriously spicy and rich, pouring out its licorice-scented plum, prune, berry and smoke flavors like a fountain, yet it remains harmonious and marvelously balanced. (HS)" (01/1997)

Bid on this 4-bottle tasting lot; including 1 1989 M. Chapoutier "Barbe Rac" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1 1989 Chapoutier "La Sizeranne" Hermitage (90RP), and 2 1992 M. Chapoutier "Chante-Alouette" Hermitage Blanc. Of the 1989 Chapoutier "La Sizeranne", Wine Advocate writes: "The 1989 La Sizeranne was aged in 40% new oak casks and was produced from yields that did not exceed 30 hectoliters per hectare. It is an organically made, unfined, unfiltered wine that is drinking surprisingly well. The dark ruby/purple color exhibits no signs of age. The bouquet leaps from the glass, offering up aromas of cassis, minerals, smoky oak, and herbs. In the mouth, this rich, powerful, concentrated, superripe wine offers succulence and delineation. The tannins are noticeable, but ripe and unobtrusive. Anticipated maturity: now-2010. Last tasted 6/96." (Rhone Book, 1997)

Bid on this bottle of 1991 Patrick Jasmin Côte-Rôtie. Wine Advocate: "Deeper-colored than either the 1990 or 1989 (one has to go back to 1988 to find this intensity of color), Jasmin's 1991 exhibits sweet currant, cherry, and raspberry fruit in its fragrant aromatics. High acidity on the palate is perplexing, but the wine possesses good body, extraction, and ripeness... (RP, The Rhône Book)" (12/1996)

Bid on this bottle of 1991 M. Chapoutier "La Mordorée" Côte-Rôtie (100RP). Wine Advocate: "In the same class as the great single-vineyard Côte Rôties made by Marcel Guigal (i.e., La Mouline, La Turque, and La Landonne), La Mordorée is most akin to La Mouline in its seductive, otherworldly fragrance and layers of sweet, expansive, velvety-textured fruit. There were 400 cases made of this saturated purple-colored wine. Its huge bouquet and spectacularly rich, layered personality offer an astonishing example of what low yields from a naturally farmed vineyard and an unfined, unfiltered winemaking philosophy can achieve. (RP)" (01/1997)

Bid on this 2-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 2003 Kongsgaard Napa Valley Syrah (94RP, 93VN) and 1-bottle of 2006 Kongsgaard Napa Valley Grenache/Syrah. Of the 2003 Kongsgaard Napa Valley Syrah, Wine Advocate writes: "The blockbuster, opaque purple-colored 2003 Syrah Hudson Vineyard exhibits aromas of ground pepper, licorice, graphite, and smoke. While there is huge fruit and great richness, this cuvee appears to have shut down following bottling. Tannic, heady, and rich, it was difficult to coax out of the glass. There is a wonderful composty, underbrush, primordial character to these Syrahs, with an almost scorched earth component. Think of it as drinking a liquefied grilled steak. (RP) 94+" (12/2005)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 2020 Hors Catégorie Walla Walla Valley Syrah (OWC - 100IWR, 99WE, 98JS, 98VN, 97JD) in original wood. Int'l Wine Review: "Aged for 18 months in 100% neutral French oak, this Syrah is a masterclass of making Syrah in Washington state. The 2020 Hors Catégorie Syrah is otherworldly and is one of the few 100-point wines that I have scored. Layered complexity gives you hit after hit on the nose - starting with floral notes of lilac and orange blossom, then it gifts meaty notes of smoked brisket and bacon fat, then it presents blackberry and blue plum skin flavors, and finally, it finishes with deep umami, mushroom, iodine, and dusty earth aspects. It’s perfectly balanced on the tongue with absolutely no rough edges to speak of. I don’t think I’ve had a wine quite like it before, and it’s stunning in every way. Just 291 cases were crafted of this impeccable wine. *Highly recommended, Editor’s Choice* (JY)" (04/2023)

The 2024 Syrah Great Places Jessica Lauren Stolpman is the most mind-bending wine in this range, and one of the finest Syrahs I've ever tasted from California. There’s a sense of flash and finesse here that makes this feel so pretty, so enticing. Dark macerated cherry, rosewater, crème de violette, incense and blackcurrant open with boundless concentration, while a pastille-like, velvety texture and ultra-refined tannins convey stunning purity. The inclusion of 85% whole clusters lends the wine remarkable textural vibrancy and aromatic delineation. The 2024 is dynamic and multidimensional, a wine that reaches the top of the mountain. Sensational.

A very tight and precise Syrah with blackberry, white pepper, brine and gunpowder. Medium body, with fine and firm tannins. Really shy and beautiful. Drinkable but so much better in a year or two. (JS)

A big, gorgeous and full-bodied wine. It's syrah-based, with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and other red grape varieties blended in. So dark, deep and robust, with blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and chocolate accents. (JG)

The 2021 RunRig is an impossibly bright and vibrant wine, with intense power and structure to match the impermeable fruit. Not much more can be said of this wine other than that it came from a magnificent vintage that experienced healthy winter rains in the lead up to the growing season and dry conditions throughout the growing season. The wines have been lauded, and in the case of a wine like this, it is evident why. Like the 2018 vintage, you could drink this anytime, but one would counsel patience. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. (EL)

A refined yet savory nose of blackcurrants, wild blackberries, mocha and iodine. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of mulberry bush, olive tapenade and ferric earth. Very chewy and structured with an underlying freshness. Delicious.

A driven, balanced , flavorful, textural and lively Crozes-Hermitage, showing aromas of dark cherries, spiced plums, wild herbs and warm spices. It's medium-bodied with fine tannins. Superb texture and balance here with a long, succulent and vivid finish. Drink or hold.

The grand vin of the estate is the 2015 Cornas, and it's even more inky colored than the Renaissance, with a saturated purple/bluish color. It offers a truly profound bouquet of black cherries, melted asphalt, ground pepper, exotic flowers and graphite, as well as the classic iodine/bloodiness I always find in this cuvée. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and seamless, with sweet tannin and a stacked mid-palate, it has an almost Hermitage-like liquid rock character, shocking elegance and purity, and a huge finish. This is Cornas at its finest – hats off to the Clape family! It's relatively accessible now, yet I suspect it will close down with a few years of bottle age.

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2021 Cayuse "Armada Vineyard" Walla Walla Valley Syrah (98IWR, 97JD, 96RP, 95JS, 95VN, 95WE, 95WS). Int'l Wine Review: "The impressive 2021 Armada Vineyard Syrah from Cayuse is another 100% Syrah from The Rocks that saw 15-20% new French oak for a total of 21 months of aging. You immediately have the sense of place in this wine and in a blind, I could pick it out every time. Gorgeous, intriguing notes of grilled meats, dried purple roses, and white peppercorns meld with the blue and black fruit with a smidgeon of white grapefruit zest that pops out of the glass on the nose. Tannins are firm and pleasant and pair perfectly with the lemony acidity and lengthy earthy finish that goes on for minutes. 636 cases were produced."

Bid on this 6-bottle lot of 2007 Corliss Columbia Valley Syrah in original wood.

Bid on this 3-magnum lot of 2011 Lillian Gold Series #2 California Syrah (1.5L).

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2003 Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Syrah. Crafted from two tiny Syrah blocks near the 1, 500' summit of Pritchard Hill, the wine is black as obsidian yet radiant in the glass, with enticing aromas of blackberry, cedar, espresso and oak spice. Anchored by a core of ripe black fruit and deeply infused tannins, this wine sets a course for the horizon and sails across your palate. 150 cases produced.

Bid on this bottle of 1984 Penfolds "Grange" Shiraz South Australia (94RP, 91VN, 91WS). Wine Advocate: "The best showing ever for this wine from my perspective, this blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is considered a relatively forward, accessible style of Grange. The color is still a dark plum/purple, and the wine shows plenty of sweet cassis, with notes of chocolate and toasty oak. The wine is opulent and luscious, with great intensity, full body, and fabulous extract. The acidity seems relatively low and integrated, and the tannins quite ripe. (RP)" (01/2002)

Bid on this bottle of 1989 E. Guigal "La Turque" Côte-Rôtie (99RP, 93VN). Wine Advocate: "The precocious, sweet, jammy 1989 La Turque's smoky, licorice, and black-raspberry aromas, as well as its phenomenal richness, make for another extraordinary tasting experience. Full-bodied, dense, and thick, this wine possesses the essence of black cherries. Still youthful, it is already gorgeous to drink. (RP)" (12/1996)

Bid on this bottle of 1988 E. Guigal "La Turque" Côte-Rôtie (100RP, 98JD). Wine Advocate: "Deep purple-colored, with grilled meat and smoky, barbecue-like aromas beginning to emerge, along with lavishly ripe scents of black plums and cassis, the 1988 La Turque is not quite as suppressed aromatically as La Mouline. This thick, unctuously textured, full-bodied, monster wine is close to reaching its plateau of drinkability. The wine exhibits awesome concentration, terrific purity, and, amazingly, no evidence of the 42 months it spent in 100% new oak casks. Very full and rich, and potentially the longest-lived La Turque yet made, this wine should be legendary. (RP)" (12/1996)

Bid on this bottle of 1988 E. Guigal "La Mouline" Côte-Rôtie (100JD, 100RP, 98ST, 95WS). Wine Advocate: "Among so many exceptional La Mouline's, this is one of the most profound. At the same time, it is atypically backward, and has been slow to evolve. Still dark purple-colored, with only a hint of the flamboyant Mouline aromatics, this thick, super concentrated, full-bodied, tannic La Mouline is loaded with fruit, massive, and full-bodied, but still in need of time to fully shed its cloak of tannin. It is likely to be the longest-lived La Mouline since the 1978 and 1969. (RP)" (12/1996)

Bid on this bottle of 1989 E. Guigal "La Landonne" Côte-Rôtie (99RP, 95VN, 94WS). Wine Advocate: "Another sensational wine is the 1989 Cote Rotie la Landonne. Served right next to the '99 and just as deep ruby in color, it offered a classic array of truffle, underbrush, licorice, smoked meats, black olive and sweet dark fruits. Deep, concentrated, ultra-pure and with building tannin, it's a killer, fully mature Cote Rotie that will continue to knock your socks off over the coming decade or more. (JD)" (09/2015)

Bid on this bottle of 1988 E. Guigal "La Landonne" Côte-Rôtie (100RP, 98JD). Wine Advocate: "An opaque purple color and a closed but exciting nose of truffles, minerals, Asian spices, and fruitcake. When the wine hits the mouth with its enormous weight and extraction of flavor, one can't help but be seduced by such enormous richness and purity. Nevertheless, there is still a remarkably high level of tannin (sweet rather than astringent), a youthful, unevolved fruit character, and flavors that stain the palate. After tasting this wine, one feels like brushing one's teeth ... it is that rich. (RP)" (01/1997)

The classy 2024 Crozes-Hermitage Origine shows well as it opens with intense white pepper, blackberry and fleshy tones. Midweighted, gently structured by ripe tannins and concentrated, the 2024 presents its final lift with persistence on the savory-spiced close. (NG)

More approachable than many of Gramercy’s 2019s, its extra year of bottle gestation has given this wine a supple elegance. It’s mildly smoky, mildly spicy from whole clusters in the fermentation, the flavors of purple plum and mint and olive bearing a quiet hum of energy, held in check by fine, polished tannins. (PJC)

The 2024 Crozes-Hermitage first wafts notes of white pepper, blackberry, red plum and a touch of graphite. Medium-bodied and concentrated, the 2024 is a delicious follow-up to the equally enticing 2023 I tasted last year. Clocks out with gentle persistence on the spice-tinged finish. (NG)

A wine of terroir and contrasts, the 2021 Minervois La Livinière La Cantilène is a blend of 55% Syrah, 30% Carignan, and 15% Grenache Noir. Aged mainly in oak barrels and 25% in concrete vats, its sun-kissed character has been beautifully refined and balanced. The aromas are woven around black fruits, balsamic and menthol notes, a hint of caramel, fresh green pepper berries, a touch of cigar, and bay leaf. The enveloping freshness is further enhanced by fine, tight-knit tannins. Balanced, harmonious and age-worthy, the long, dense, and spicy finish is a sign of youth. Decant to soften and allow it to open up.

The famous McCrea Cuvee Orleans came from this vineyard, and the 2022 Syrah Motor City Kitty continues the site’s reputation for greatness, offering a ripe style and lots of wood, but showing something very special in its spicy, meaty, herbal complexion, memorable particularly for its sense of purity and balance. Made in a dense, brooding, full-bodied style, it spent time fermenting in concrete tank on its skins for 45 days before settling into 500-liter puncheon for 15 months on the lees. Dark fruit and spicy dried herbs accent the core of the wine, which will benefit from further aging, 10-12 years. (VB)

Harmonious and lively, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Le Rouvre wafts from the glass with aromas of dark cherries, spices, mulberries, blueberries and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and textured, it’s well balanced, built around a deep core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal finish. It's a Crozes-Hermitage that transcends its appellation. (YC)

Chave’s 2023 Hermitage is elegant and expressive, well suited to the character of the vintage, revealing aromas of sweet dark berries, incense, violet, dark cherries and tapenade. Full-bodied, satiny and suave, deep and concentrated, it’s pure and seamless, built around ultra-refined tannins for such a young Hermitage, with lively acidity lending tension and freshness, concluding with a long, perfumed and persistent finish. Remarkably accessible in its youth, it nonetheless warrants extended cellaring; the particular profile of the vintage appears especially well adapted to this cuvée and should permit long aging while preserving its aromatic expansiveness. (YC)

The 2025 Cuvée-Syrah, tasted from tank just prior to bottling, is packed with inky dark fruit, lavender, menthol, licorice, chocolate, spice and a good deal of whole-cluster savoriness. Boisterous and juicy, the 2025 is a total delight. A whole range of floral and spice notes punctuate the finish. The 2025 was done with 100% stems and was aged mostly in neutral 500-liter barrels. It is an astonishingly good wine made in a style meant to be very friendly in terms of both approachability and price. (AG)

From a 60 year old parcel. Complex nose with a savoury, spicy, slightly smoky edge to the fruit. Beautiful intensity in the mouth with masses of concentration and structure, with sweet blackberry and black cherry fruit kept honest by some crushed rock and gravel minerality and then some grippy tannins. Finishes with some sour cherry. This is an immense wine with real potential for ageing.

Made from 100% Syrah, the 2023 Syrah El Jabali Vineyard is deep purple-hued and has a classic Syrah nose of gamey black fruits, pepper, tapenade, and violets. It's rich and medium to full-bodied, with remarkable purity, a seamless and layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged 14 months in 70% new French oak, including puncheons, this is a sensational effort from this talented winemaker. Drink 2025-2035.

Delicious black cherry, blackberry and baking spice flavors are cushioned by well-integrated tannins and lifted by a touch of raspberry tanginess in this well-polished and mouthwatering wine. (JG)

The 2017 Syrah High Rock Ranch is an intriguing wine from Copain. This site in the Yorkville Highlands yields an especially savory, tightly wound style. Dark fruit, game, licorice, smoke and tobacco all develop. The tannins remain forbidding though, and need time to soften. Readers should expect a brooding, inward Syrah.

This is rich, mellow and nicely filled with fruit, offering dark cherries, plums, mild spices and hints of cedar and nutmeg on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with velvety, rather supple tannins and impressive volume and length. A smooth and fruity aftertaste. Drink now or hold.

Sourced from vines planted in the sectors of Beaumes and Péléat, and matured entirely in new large barrels, the 2023 Hermitage unfurls from the glass with aromas of pepper, spices, fresh licorice, dark berries and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and deep, it’s layered and sappy, built around a fleshy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, mineral finish. Dense and enveloping, it will benefit, as usual, from time in the cellar to fully integrate. (YC)

The 2023 Baker Lane Estate Syrah from Singer is a striking expression of Sonoma Coast pedigree. The bouquet is explosive, bursting with black raspberry, purple plum, cassis, and blueberry, layered with violets, white pepper, bacon fat, smoke, and crushed granite. It’s a captivating aromatic display that firmly plants this wine among California’s most compelling Syrahs. On the palate, it delivers both plush texture and vibrant lift, marrying sleek blackberry fruit with savory spice and mineral tension. Utterly delicious now with a short decant, it has the depth to evolve beautifully over the next decade.

The infusion of Sangiovese with the Shiraz has produced a wine of vibrant luminosity. In the mouth, the 2021 Il Briccone is pure and driven by firm fruit tannins that splay through the finish in a chalky, almost chewy way. There is blackberry, raspberry, plum skin and pink peppercorns, with black cherry, cocoa nibs and a hint of chinotto. (EL)

Penfolds nailed the great vintage, making a wine that is perfect in every way. The blend of 97% shiraz and 3% cabernet sauvignon comes from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Magill Estate in Adelaide, in that order, and as usual spent 18 months in new American hogsheads. Its detail is superb, with light and shade allowing blackberry and plum fruit pride of place, but there's also flashes of spice and licorice. It's as mouthwatering with the last taste as the first, and 7.3g/l of acidity leaves the mouth fresh.

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of 1989 Paul Jaboulet Aîné "Domaine Raymond Roure" Crozes-Hermitage and 2-bottles of 2003 M. Chapoutier "Les Varonniers" Crozes-Hermitage (94RP, 92WS). Of the 2003 M. Chapoutier "Les Varonniers" Crozes-Hermitage, Wine Advocate writes: "Looking first at his Crozes Hermitage, and a wine that will stand toe to toe with any number of Hermitages, the 2003 Crozes Hermitage Les Varonniers offers thrilling black fruits, saddle leather, spice and cured meat-like qualities to go with a sexy, full-bodied, and layered profile on the palate. It will continue to evolve gracefully, but there’s no reason to delay gratification and I’d enjoy this fabulous Syrah over the coming couple of years. (JD)" (04/2014)

Bid on this 3-bottle tasting lot; including 1 1989 M. Chapoutier "La Sizeranne" Hermitage (90RP) and 2 1990 M. Chapoutier "La Sizeranne" Hermitage (93JG, 92JD, 91RP, 91WS). Of the 1990 M. Chapoutier "La Sizeranne" Hermitage, John Gilman writes: "... The wine is still quite dazzling on the nose, offering up a beautiful blend of black raspberries, pepper, duck prosciutto, lavender, dark soil tones, plenty of smokiness and a quite generous serving of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with melting tannins, fine focus and balance and a long, complex and very tasty finish. " (09/2023)

Bid on this bottle of 2013 Sine Qua Non "Le Supplément" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah (100JD, 100RP, 96VN). Wine Advocate: "Coming entirely from the Eleven Confessions Estate Vineyard and composed of 89% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, 3% Grenache and 2% Viognier, using 28% whole cluster, the 2013 Syrah Le Supplement is just starting to evolve into beguiling earthy/meaty tertiary notes with suggestions of sandalwood, mossy bark, black soil, patchouli and salami over a core of blackberry compote, preserved plums, mincemeat pie and star anise with a touch of dried lavender. Rich, concentrated and decadent, the full-bodied, opulent palate explodes with black fruits preserves peppered by meaty/savory nuances and culminating in epically lingering exotic spice notes. (LPB)" (09/2017)

Bid on this bottle of 2020 Hors Catégorie Walla Walla Valley Syrah (100IWR, 99WE, 98JS, 98VN, 97JD). Int'l Wine Review: "Aged for 18 months in 100% neutral French oak, this Syrah is a masterclass of making Syrah in Washington state. The 2020 Hors Catégorie Syrah is otherworldly and is one of the few 100-point wines that I have scored. Layered complexity gives you hit after hit on the nose - starting with floral notes of lilac and orange blossom, then it gifts meaty notes of smoked brisket and bacon fat, then it presents blackberry and blue plum skin flavors, and finally, it finishes with deep umami, mushroom, iodine, and dusty earth aspects. It’s perfectly balanced on the tongue with absolutely no rough edges to speak of. I don’t think I’ve had a wine quite like it before, and it’s stunning in every way. Just 291 cases were crafted of this impeccable wine. *Highly recommended, Editor’s Choice* (JY)" (04/2023)