2016 John Lewis Reserve Syrah

Wow, from the first sniff of the 2016 Syrah John Lewis you know this is something special. Aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and dusty cherry skin burst from the glass with black peppercorn and red spice notes. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, structured and lifted, with a touch of sweet red fruit, presumably from a semi-carbonic maceration, showing elegance and ease on the mid-palate that is firm and focused, with a mineral tension of wet rock. A long and thoughtful expression on the finish continues to evolve on the aftertaste well after the wine has left the palate. It's an impressive wine, and with only 322 cases made, this is a safe bet for any Syrah lover. It's devastatingly beautiful.

The 2016 Syrah John Lewis comes from the Les Collins, Forgotten Hills, SJR, and Red Willow vineyards and saw 86% whole clusters and 19 months in 11% new French oak. Reminding me of a Saint Joseph with its stemmy black fruits, peppery herbs, and subtle minerality, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, firm tannins, good acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. It's a good, even outstanding Syrah, yet is a shadow of what this estate has produced in the past. While I continue to love the wines from Gramercy Cellars, I found these latest releases, while still outstanding, to be a clear step down from previous vintages.

Full, bright medium red. Strong pepper and herb lift to the aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, licorice and spices. A cooler, more savory style than the 2015 version, this highly aromatic Syrah possesses lovely energy but not quite the depth of the '15. Still, there's a thickness here, and an Old World olive tapenade quality. Finishes fairly full, with ripe, well-distributed tannins. I'd give this a couple years of cellaring to express itself more fully. (just 12.8% alcohol)