Spotlight Syrah

What’s in a name? Well, in the case of syrah/shiraz, more than you’d think.

Over time, the words have come to differentiate the grape stylistically. Syrah denotes old world in style: fragrant/savoury, high acid, high tannin, black pepper and dark floral notes. Shiraz as a name lends itself to fruitier examples of style: new world plump ripeness, soft tannins, earth, and black licorice. Nomenclature aside, this grape is late budding, very deep in colour and high in anthocyanins, indicative of texture, longer aging and making friends with oak. Syrah particularly loves granite, especially when it’s well draining and clinging to a slope.

The grape itself is ancient – syrah is the offspring of the grape varieties dureza (father) and mondeuse blanche (mother), from the Ardèche and Montpellier regions of south eastern France. DNA typing has concluded syrah originated from northern Rhône, though the date of first plantings are unknown.

In the year AD 77, Pliny the Elder wrote in his Naturalis Historia about the wines of Vienne (today’s Côte-Rôtie), where famous and prized wine was made from a dark-skinned grape variety that had not existed some 50 years earlier, in Virgil's age. For centuries it has been recognized that the spiritual home of syrah in the northern Rhône are the wines of Hermitage, the hill above the town Tain-L’Hermitage. There is a little hermitage (chapel) built on the top that you can still hike up and visit today, and where the Knight Gaspard de Stérimberg is supposed to have settled as a hermit after his crusades. The chapel was built in honor of Saint Christopher and today is owned by the négociant Paul Jaboulet Aîné.

You may increasingly hear people volley about the term “cool climate Syrah” to differentiate the wine’s structure and freshness from the backlash against flabby, warm climate Australian shiraz of old. Today, Australia is one of the leaders for fresh, high altitude, new attitude shiraz, which just goes to show that whatever will be, will not always be. Que syrah, syrah.

In honour of the underlying theme of syrah/shiraz at the 37^th Vancouver international Wine Festival, and #ShirazWeek (Feb 21-28) we chose our top scoring examples (90 points and above) all tasted over the last year.

97 M. Chapoutier Le Pavillon Ermitage Rouge 2010
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $320.00 specialty listing OTB, AB $230.00 fine wine stores
Tasted against the 2009 I have to admit I think the 2010 is a more interesting bottle but only because I prefer its restraint. The ’09 is more opulent and brash but both are sensational. The nose is a fascinating mix of floral stony mineral notes that preview a sort of red/blueberry fruit character with an inkiness – something Chapoutier always refers to in his wine. The finish is long and relentless with amazing richness and power and finesse. I would leave this alone through 2025. Annual production is a measly 600 cases off of 4 hectares of granite soils known as Les Béssards. The wine is matured in oak casks (30% new) between 18 and 20 months. A fabulous bottle of wine that is more Euro in style this year than the 2009. Amazing. (AG-ST)

96 M. Chapoutier Le Pavillon Ermitage Rouge 2009
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $320.00 specialty listing OTB, AB $230.00 fine wine stores
In 2008 the edge went to Le Meal but in 2009, perhaps the edge goes to Le Pavillon with its richer more robust style. Chapoutier never corrects for vintage preferring to let each year tell its story through the wine. Open warm blackberry, black cherry, and peppery, savoury, liquorice garrigue notes waft from the glass. The mix is very complex and fruity. Rich, full, juicy, moderately tannic and concentrated. Vanilla, more liquorice, tobacco, blackberry jam, black plum, spicy, peppery, minty, floral, smoky, gamey, garrigue flavours. It has fine acidity if warm but needs 7-10 more years in bottle despite its elegance. Will last for 30 years easily. An interesting contrast to the 2008 which shows more elegance and climate-terroir influence but less concentration. (AG-ST)

96 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal Rouge 2010
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $243.00 specialty listing, AB $275.00 fine wine stores
Another year where it’s easier to say you pick’em because the difference between Le Méal and Le Pavillon, again in 2010, is really a matter of style. Expect a spicy, liquorice, meaty black fruit nose with a dollop of Rhone garrigue. The attack is fresh, balanced and persistent with more smoky, floral, blueberry, liquorice flavours. It an amazing syrah with energy and lift that makes biodynamic farming look awfully important. You need to wait a decade to drink this for half a century. A dream for collectors. (AG-ST)

94 Peter Lehmann VSV Hongell Shiraz 2012
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $56.00 speculative listing - International Cellars
With over 150 growers and countless blocks of wine that can be streamed into single vineyard offerings it is no surprise that Peter Lehmann can unleashed such a compelling series of VSV wines year in and year out. These small batch, special blocks are labelled complete with each grower’s signature and are only made in exceptional years. In 2012 senior winemaker Ian Hongell and his wife Daniela, owners of a plot of vines they planted in 1999 along the western ridge of the Barossa Valley (in the Stonewell District) made the VSV cut. Interestingly any winemaker with vineyard ownership at Lehmann must leave the tasting room when it’s on the bench for classification. In 2012 the colour is deep with a bright edge leading to a bouquet of dark plums and mixed spice. The palate shows typical richness and is harnessed beautifully by the tannins from the iron stone rich soil to give a remarkable red wine with a great sense of place and a long, stylish finish. Some partial barrel fermentation followed by 15 months in French oak hogsheads gives it just the right weight and texture. A T-bone steak is the match or a strong, mature cheese. In 2012 the colour is deep with a bright edge leading to a bouquet of dark plums and mixed spice. The palate is typically Stonewell District rich with a power that springs from the rocky red/brown soils and tannins that come with finesse. Some partial barrel fermentation followed by 15 months in French oak hogsheads gives it just the right weight and texture. A T-bone steak is the match or a strong, mature cheese, otherwise sit back and gives this five to eight years to gather itself in the bottle. (AG-ST)

94 Peter Lehmann VSV 1885 Shiraz 2012
Ebenezer, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $55.00 speculative listing - International Cellars
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from these sites is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual vineyard that is recognized on the label as VSV. The 1885 is planted on its own roots by the Schrapel family in the Ebenezer district and has been since 1885. The 6th generation Ralph Schrapel tends the vines and it’s his signature on the label. The low yielding, 4-acre block sits on red brown soils at more than 300m above sea level. The vineyard owners have worked closely with Lehmann to bring this vineyard up to a new level of quality and in 2012 it is clear that work is paying off. Lower than average crops and ideal weather conditions led to some amazing fruit. Senior winemaker Ian Hongell says 1885 is always fragrant and elegant but in 2012 there is a richness and power that adds to this wines appeal. As the vineyard closes in on 130 year Hongell says it is an honour to make a wine from such a historically important Barossa site. (AG-ST)

93 Peter Lehmann VSV 1885 Shiraz 2010
Ebenezer, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $55.00 speculative listing - International Cellars
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from these sites is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual vineyard that is recognized on the label as VSV. In this case the 1885 is planted on its own roots by the Schrapel family in the Ebenezer district since…1885. The 6th generation Ralph Schrapel tends the vines and it’s his signature on the label. The low yielding, 4-acre block sits on red brown soils at more than 300m above sea level. The colour is black red, the aromas ripe and enticing black cherry/mocha with similar dark brooding fruit flavours with a peppery smoked meat and liquorice underbelly. The winery suggests duck as a food pairing, but you could add lamb or beef to that or nay rich winter dish. Impressive to say the least. (AG-ST)

93 Yalumba The Octavius Barossa Old Vine Shiraz 2008
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $140.00 speculative listing - Pacific Wine & Spirits
Big black berry jam, black cherry, coffee, chocolate, orange, licorice, smoky, vanilla, graphite and meat aromas with a hint of jasmine. Rich, ripe, smooth and juicy with fine concentration and tannins. Savoury, licorice, black pepper, black berry jam, coffee, vanilla, tobacco, rosemary and orange peel flavours with a chocolaty, plum finish. Long, warm, intense and rich finish with some oak showing. Drinkable now but will improve with 3-7 years. A rich, somewhat oakier style but with fine complexity and balance. Time in bottle will only add to this wines potential. (AG-ST)

93 Kangarilla Road Q Shiraz 2009
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
BC $70.00 speculative listing - Icon Fine Wine and Spirits
Peppery, smoky bacon, saddle leather, gamey, vanilla, blackberry jam, licorice, vanilla and plum aromas. Rich, full, round, suave, juicy palate but very warm. Black berry, plum jam, savoury, licorice, tobacco, gamey, smoky, vanilla, coffee, roast pepper flavours. Shows good concentration and intensity amid red fruits and minerals. A high quality, chalky, dense rich fine-grained tannins. Terrific bottle. (AG-ST)

93 Kangarilla Road Scarce Earth 2012
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
BC $60.00 speculative listing - Icon Fine Wines and Spirits
McLaren Vale Scarce Earth is all about McLaren Vale’s best Shiraz vineyards reaching full expression through single block wines. The wines go through three tasting panels to ensure they reflect a sense of place and express their true fruit characters. The vineyard block chosen is from the Eocene (34-56 million years ago) and is on Blanche Point Formation which is a marine fossil rich calcareous siltstone/limestone. Very spicy, anise, ginger, floral, plum, blackberry, chocolate and vanilla aromas with a hint of tobacco. Dry, fresh, juicy, suave palate with blackberry jam, savoury, poultry spice, vanilla, smoky bacon, chocolate and licorice flavours. Long with good elegance, concentrated fruit and very fine aromatics. This single vineyard, barrel selection should benefit from 3-7 years aging. (AG-ST)

92 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne Rouge 2010
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
BC $110.00 speculative listing - Pacific Wine and Spirits, AB $100.00 private wine shops, ON $100.00
It’s crazy to suggest this wine is not a giant but somehow Chapoutier manages to reflect the vintage, and like Le Pavilion, there is a firmness but with restraint. The nose is a peppery, mix of black fruits minerals and curry. The attack is dry and elegant with fine-grained tannins and juicy smoky, liquorice-laced black fruits. A wonderful food wine years from its peak. Try it with roast lamb, or osso buco. (AG-ST)

92 Peter Lehmann VSV Orrock Shiraz 2009
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $55.00 speculative listing - International Cellars
The Orrock family vineyard sits 380m above sea level in the Southern Flinders Ranges some two hours north of Tanunda. A newcomer to Barossa the southern Flinders offers up a very different style shiraz. The vineyard, near Mt. Remarkable, boasts red brown earth with a bit of ironstone and limestone suggesting shiraz would do well. Only 600 cases were made under the Orrock designation in 2009, a drought year that was warm, but not hot. Expect a less meaty character, less power in exchange for floral, freshness and Turkish delight notes along with a slim structure. Still has those attractive, fine-grained tannins to entice but relies more on fragrance and elegance. Orrock is fermented on its skins for 10 days and aged 12 months in French oak hogsheads. Big enough for richer winter dishes but would also hold its own with aged cheeses. (AG-ST)

92 Peter Lehmann Vine Vale Shiraz 2012
Vine Vale, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. That said, not all wines in the District Series have to be from a single site, it could be put together from side by side sites involving areas of 1000 to 1500 acres. Vine Vale comes off the central Barossa valley floor where long time grower David Neldner tends the vines. The dry-farmed site is characterized by its rounder more elegant style although in 2012 it seem to be stepping out a bit. The palate is sweeter (riper) with obvious chocolate. The attack is tighter and more penetrating with dark fruits and good underlying power that persists through the finish. Vine Vale is made from 60-year old shiraz vines grown on deep, white sands. Roast beef would be a good fit but this really needs four to six years to grow into its structure. (AG-ST)

92 Peter Lehmann Moppa Shiraz 2012
Moppa, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. At Lehmann there are some 140 carefully selected independent growers to work with and tend around 750 individual vineyards across Barossa and Eden Valleys. This wine is named after the small district of Moppa, just north of Greenock. Fruit sourced from the Hallion, Hampel and Mulraney vineyards and grown in the deep sand. Expect plenty of power and weight combine with black fruit spice and liquorice. This is the full meal deal Barossa shiraz: generous, rich and spicy with well managed tannins from a very good vintage. Perfect for rich menu items like lamb beef or old cheeses. (AG-ST)

92 Sequel Syrah 2011
Columbia Valley, Washington, United States
BC $60.00 speculative listing - Mark Anthony Brands, AB $78.00 fine wine shops, ON $85.00 Classics Catalogue, QC $75.00, SK $62.00, US $50.00 estimated retail
Spicy, coffee, mocha, blackberry jam, vanilla, cedar, licorice, meaty, black pepper and cedar aromas. Ripe, rich, full, smooth and suave palate with light tannins. Very peppery, clove, vanilla, mocha, black olive, licorice, sausage meat, blackberry jam, Christmas cake and tobacco flavours. Very warm but suave and savoury with finesse. An attractive very hedonistic style of shiraz. (AG-ST)

92 Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah +9/10 2012
Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $36.00 winery direct
What a difference some sunshine makes. Exquisite floral, tangerine skin, meaty, savoury, licorice nose with coffee, chocolate, vanilla, gingerbread and leather aromas. Dry, full, round, chewy palate with some grainy tannins and a bit of heat. Meaty, peppery, gamey, black licorice, smoky coffee, ginger, savoury, poultry spice and prune flavours. Very warm, full finish with lots of fruit and oak. Needs 2-4 years to integrate. An excellent bottle with a bright future the best yet from the Enns family at a very reasonable price. (AG-ST)

92 Tellurian Tranter Heathcote Shiraz 2012
Heathcote, Victoria, Australia
Australia $40.00 srp
Very gamey, smoky, savoury, tobacco, kirsch, black licorice, black berry jam, smoked pepper, vanilla and coffee aromas- fine aromatics. Rich, round, smooth, juicy palate with very fine tannins. Black berry jam, licorice, resin, smoky leather, meaty, tobacco, chocolate and vanilla with a roast red pepper note. Long finish with good complexity and light tannins to dissipate. Should improve with 3-7 years. A very fine effort. (AG-ST)

92 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz 2009
South Australia, Australia
BC $65.00 specialty listing, AB $75.00 fine wine boutiques, MB $52.00, NF $55.00, NS $54.00, ON $75.00, QC $63.00, SK $46.00

Striking iron aromas sweep across dried and fresh black cherries and blackberry thorns. Finessed and polished black fruits on the palate - black cherry, anise and cassis - alongside dried herbs, heady eucalyptus and fine pepper. St. Henri (junior to Grange) presents masculine and stately. Palate is structured and tannins are tight and grippy - this is wound tight and ready for the years to gently unfold (10+). Lengthy and well-knit fruit now, decant and pour with dry aged beef tenderloin. (TR)

91 Peter Lehmann H&V Shiraz 2011
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
Australia $22.00 Cellar Door, Canada $28.00
The Barossa H&V (Hill and Valley) is sourced primarily from two premium vineyards in the Light Pass and Ebenezer sub zones of the northern Barossa. The cool 2011 vintage has produced a deeply coloured, limited-release shiraz offering medium rich textures, dark plum and chocolate flavours with polished, fine-grained tannins throughout the finish. You can drink it now or lay it down for another 4-5 years and let it put on some added weight and complexity. The wine was fermented on skins for seven days to maximize colour and flavour and then aged for 12 months in French oak hogsheads. Grilled sausages, or lamb chops would be an excellent match. (AG-ST)

91 Peter Lehmann Eight Songs Shiraz 2005
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $45.00 specialty listing, AB $44.00 fine wine shops, MB $55.00 private wine shops, ON $40.00
Eight Songs is all about elegance and it is constructed by blending a variety of soil types, elevations and old vines to make a softer, kinder, gentler version of Barossa shiraz. The nose is a mix of aromas mocha, coffee, vanilla and dark fruits with a wisp of toast. Generous textures of plummy chocolate fruit with adequate acidity and soft, well-integrated tannins. Fully mature but holding well if this bottle is any measure. Fruit comes from Stonewell, Nuriootpa, Ebenezer, Moppa and Light and the Light Pass districts of the Barossa Valley. Try this with an old piece of cheese or a traditional roast beef dinner. (AG-ST)

91 Peter Lehmann Lyndoch Shiraz 2011
Lyndoch, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
The Lyndoch offering comes off mostly ancient, wind-blown terra rossa soils with an eastern aspect. The wine is named after the small Barossa district of Lyndoch, one of South Australia’s oldest towns and the old clone, (long bunch shiraz) is grown by Robert and Nanette Staker. The low-yielding, sustainable vineyard is on God’s Hill facing east along a southern Barossa ridge where it is spared the hot, late day sun. The wine is fairly aromatic with more red fruit character than you might expect. Plums and mulberries with just a pinch of spice melded into an elegant style shiraz with an easy-sipping style. Most District wines can get anywhere from 15-30 percent new French oak depending on the vintage and site. The amounts of oak is a result of constant flavour tracking throughout the time the wine is in barrel. Try this with your favourite cut of steak. Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. (AG-ST)

91 Peter Lehmann Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2012
Adelaide Hills, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide (including Mt Lofty Ranges, Fleurieu and Barossa, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
The Adelaide Hills adjoin the southern boundary of the Barossa Ranges where the elevation offers a cooler climate and ultimately a somewhat more refined wine structure. It is not high Adelaide Hill but still different to the Barossa. Clay and sand and alluvial soils mark a much cooler site with more pepper and spice in the wine. The 2012 has a vibrancy of colour and aromas. Look for some cinnamon and curry spice weaved into a soft, round stylish red with fine ripeness. In 2012 the crop was early and small producing a delicious true shiraz character with a sense of style and grace. Any sort of grilled sausages would be a hit with this wine that is a welcomed antidote to the blockbuster Barossa style. Drink now with food or hold three to five years. Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. (AG-ST)

91 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Shiraz 2012
Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. That said not all wines in the District Series have to be from a single site, it could be put together from side by side sites involving areas of 1000 to 1500 acres. The Eden Valley in the Barossa Ranges is high country with shallow soils, granite boulders, plenty of gum trees and a cool climate. In the fine 2012 vintage this shiraz comes off the Hearnden family ‘Jack’s Block, where the land yields soft chalky tannins that give this wine its signature elegance and balance. There is beautiful restraint here revealing a spicy red with floral blueberry fruit flavours with a dash of liquorice. More linear with weight and length and amazing texture. You can drink this now with grilled meats or duck but it is probably best suited to more cellar time, say five to seven years. (AG-ST)

91 Peter Lehmann Light Pass Shiraz 2012
Light Pass, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
BC $30.00 Cellar Door
Over the past decade, the Lehmann winemaking team has identified a number of special vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys that consistently stand out on the tasting bench. Each year fruit from the ‘District Wines’ is set aside and processed in small batches to highlight the individual site in question and is recognized on the label. That said, not all wines in the District Series have to be from a single site. The Light Pass district of the Barossa has played a central role in Lehmann wines for decades. In 2012 this District pick has a fabulous fragrance in the glass combining fine chocolate and red fruits. The finish is persistent but supple. The well-established shiraz vines are grown by the Scholz family of Light Pass where evening cool winds contribute to the structure and acidity of the wine in this Barossa district. (AG-ST)

91 Fowles Wine Ladies Who Shoot their Lunch Shiraz 2010
Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Australia
BC $40.00 specialty listing, NB $40.00, ON $36.00
Black licorice, savoury, light garrigue, smoky, black berry jam, sausage, floral, orange peel and resin aromas. Ripe, round, elegant and smooth palate with juicy acidity. Black cherry jam, orange peel, coffee, tobacco, meaty, peppery, licorice root flavours with a blueberry, menthol note. Warm and fresh on the finish but very good fruit and ripeness. Could use a year or two more to fully develop. Worth cellaring. (AG-ST)

91 Le Vieux Pin Syrah Cuvée Classique 2012
Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $45.00 Winery direct, private wine shop, VQA
This is one of a trio of syrah that Le Vieux Pin produces in their quest to explore all personalities of the grape in the southern Okanagan. In the Cuvée Classique, 100 percent syrah from North Oliver reflects the savoury, brooding face. Perfumed black florals, bacon fat, cracked clove and pepper aromas. The layered palate is fresh with wild blackberries, herbal cassis, black cherry and cracked black pepper. Firm tannins frame this structured wine, but the sun ripened fruit cushion complements it seamlessly. Lingering salted sage and smoky bacon begs pairing with grilled lamb now, or cellar for 3-5 years. (TR)

91 Loma Larga Syrah 2010
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
BC $37.00 Speculative, NS $32.00, ON $30.00 Vintages
The top syrah has a strong cool climate streak to match its deep purple colour. It comes from two single plots of the estate. The nose is rich and intense with liquorice, coffee, smoky black plum jam aromas. The attack is round, the fruit is juicy with light tannins and excellent finesse. A very polished powerful red that stays within itself offering delicious meaty, plummy, peppery fruit. Again it’s the balance and elegance that surprises. You can drink this now with grilled lamb but it will easily age a decade. (AG-ST)

91 Kangarilla Road Shiraz 2004
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
BC $24.99 specialty listing
The coldest vintage on record has produced a sensational bottle. Similar to the current vintage with its blueberry, blackberry, peppery, savoury, floral, tobacco nose with a bit of cedar, game and barnyard leather. Dry, fresh, full, suave and juicy palate with savoury, chocolate pepper, black berry, bacon, smoky leather and game flavours. Fine complexity and length with an all McLaren Vale manner. The first year under screwcap is a resounding success. (AG-ST)

91 O'Leary Walker Wines Claire Reserve Shiraz 2005
Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia
Australia $90.00 winery direct
Opens with pencil, big herbal notes into savoury black cherry, red cherry, fine dried raspberry. Great structure, fine, grainy tannins covered with savoury iodine and branchy/earthy interest. Still pure and fresh now 10 years on. Finessed and deep with flavour. Great length, ending with a bit of mustard seed herbal notes. (TR)

90 Painted Rock Syrah 2011
Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $40.00 winery direct
Painted Rock has excited us with its Skaha bench syrah that reflects more of the meaty, peppery cooler aspects of the northern Rhone with the understanding it comes from the Okanagan Valley. Smoky meaty leather black cherry aromas mark the nose along with a dollop of wilderness. On the palate, it begins with a juicy note inviting you into the glass to discover its complex core of black and blueberry fruits, liquorice and tea, underscored by sage, vanilla and more smoky, meaty notes. Just a baby this will need five years in bottle to express its full spectrum of flavours and length. The oak is better managed and its makes a difference in what is an average vintage at best. Impressive but give it time. (AG-ST)

90 Louis Bernard Crozes Hermitage 2012
Rhone Valley, France
BC $25.00 specialty listing
Lovely signature peppery nose with flecks of smoked meat, black cherry and earthy, leather aromas. The attack is slippery with round, elegant tannins, and juicy mineral black cherry fruit mixed with a savoury finish. Love the finish and the bright acidity here. Drink now with roasted meats or cellar for three to five years. (AG-ST)

90 Chateau Sainte Roseline Cuvee Prieure Rose 2013
Côtes de Provence, Provence, South of France, France
BC $35.00
Serious pink. Love the red fruit and minerality here but with substantive mid-palate weight and even with some light tannins. You could age this but why bother just amp up the food and let the red cherry berry fruits cut into your dish. The finish is equally substantial. Try it with a great piece of cheese before or after dinner. (AG-ST)

90 Samantha Cequeira Vineyard Syrah 2013
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
BC $25.00 winery direct; private wine shops
There is great lesson in this wine for many Okanagan producers. You need to taste more and more wines from outside the valley. Araxi Restaurant wine director Samantha Rahn has released a single red wine made at Okanagan Crush Pad. The yearly opportunity given to the Sommelier of the Year in BC is delicious. Okay it lacks a bit of power and depth but overall the elegance and drinkability of this syrah is amazing. The fruit comes off the ever impressive Cerqueira Vineyard in Oliver. Bravo. (AG-ST)

90 Delas Frères Côte-Rôtie Seigneur de Maugiron 2000
Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
QC $0.00 current vintage sells for $80
It is said that during the Middle Ages, the Seigneur de Maugiron gave his vineyards as a dowry to his two daughters, one blond, and the other brunette. Delas Freres oversees the grapes that are grown in the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde areas today. This is Delas' entry-level Côte Rôtie bottling. Now 14 years along, this is obviously a mature wine, from hue (brown bricks) through the mature and worn flavours. A delicate bouquet of iron, dried violet and salt lures to a smoothed palate of bacon fat, faded truffles, well-worn saddle, sea salt and powdery fine black and white pepper. Tannins are just stretched past their limits, but hold the line of a once powerfully boned Northern Rhone syrah. Peaked two years back, and aging gracefully but quickly. If you have in your cellar, drink now, quietly. (TR)

90 Penfolds Shiraz Bin 128 2012
Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia
BC $40.00 specialty listing, AB $35.00 fine wine boutiques, ON $35.00, QC $33.00
Black pepper, resin, savoury, graphite, black cherry, coffee, light vanilla and tobacco aromas with a touch of game and leather. Full, juicy, dry, suave palate with light tannins and good intensity. Big black cherry, blueberry, savoury, peppery, floral, vanilla and coffee flavours with a touch of graphite and licorice. The finish is warm but offers fine fruit and concentration. Drink now with a lamb dish or cellar over the next decade. (AG-ST)

90 Fowles Wine Ladies Who Shoot their Lunch Shiraz 2010
Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Australia
BC $40.00 specialty listing, NB $40.00, ON $36.00
If you don’t fall in love with the name (intriguing) or the label (characterful) you’ll surely fall in love with the fresh, inviting and open wine. Concentrated in fruit, complexed by ancient granitic soils and brightened by altitude, this wine was blended to complement wild game. This shiraz was aged in 1/3 stainless steel, 1/3 140-year old oak and 1/3 oak puncheons; no overblown sweet oaked shiraz here. In fact, this wine is much more to the wild, Rhone-inflected syrah bent. Intense aromas of floral cassis, black cherry and leather lead to a fresh and savoury palate of black cherry, fine black pepper, softly plush tannins and black plums on the lingering finish. I’ll concur that wild game would make a fine pair, though herbed lamb rack would also suit. (TR)

90 Kangarilla Road Devil’s Whiskers Shiraz 2011
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
BC $40.00 speculative listing - Icon Fine Wines and Spirits
Fresh open smoky, blackberry jam with coffee, meaty, licorice, vanilla, floral, oaky aromas. Rich, ripe, round and suave yet with some mid-palate tightness and light tannins. Waxy, black berry jam, smoky, bacon, meaty, kirsch, licorice, vanilla and tobacco flavours. Good fruit, length and intensity with fresh acidity but hot on the finish. Needs 2-4 years but very solid. (AG-ST)