Syrah of the Year

Shafer, 2003 Relentless, Napa Valley – $63: Combining boldness with restraint and concentration with finesse, this magnificent wine remains the benchmark for Syrah excellence in California – although the competition is closing in. Blended with 20% petite sirah, the 2003 Relentless offers intense, heady aromas of freshly crushed blackberry, blueberry, plum compote, cracked black peppercorn and vanilla. Brimming with wild blackberry-blueberry fruit enhanced by Hermitage-like varietal elements of raw meatiness and peppery spice, this mouth-filling heavyweight exhibits chewy, ripe tannins and great concentration; finishes long with a liqueur-like richness. (2,500 cases)

Top Ten Syrahs, Petites & Rh?ne Blends of the Year

Ampelos, 2004 Gamma, Sta. Rita Hills – $32: Forward, very fragrant, appealing scents of freshly crushed wild blackberry, shy mocha and a framboise high note. Luscious and velvety-smooth with firm, supple tannins and nicely concentrated, extracted blackberry fruit; fine length and balance with a minerally undertone emerging in the finish. An elegant, yet generous Syrah. (98 cases)

Chiarello Family, 2003 Petite Sirah Roux, Napa Valley – $50: From 93-year-old estate-grown vines, this is a big, chewy Petite, full of luscious, succulent blackberry-black cherry-cassis fruit, dried sage, wet stone minerality and black pepper, all of which are announced by the nose. No funk, just distinctive, deep, concentrated fruit accompanied by firm, ripe tannins. Cellaring required. (116 cases)

Jaffurs, 2004 Ampelos Vineyard, Santa Barbara County – $42: Forward, wildly fragrant nose of white pepper, violets, smoked meat and just-picked, freshly crushed blackberry and black raspberry accented by anise seed and glove leather. Smooth, round and fleshy with deep, generous flavors, this exciting Syrah is bursting with dark berry fruit laced with vibrant white pepper spice; wonderfully complex with a long finish. This could be the Syrah of the Year if only there were more of it. (74 cases)

JC Cellars, 2003 Ventana Vineyard, Monterey – $30: Bold, broadly aromatic nose of ripe black fruit, roasted meat, dried lavender, crushed white and red peppercorns and a wisp of white smoke. Exquisitely balanced with supple tannins and a deep core of liqueur-rich blackberry fruit enhanced by cr?me de cassis; smooth and round with an extended, fruit-saturated close. (303 cases)

Kenneth-Crawford, 2003 Evans Ranch, Santa Rita Hills – $32: Vanilla-tinged aromas of black raspberry-blackberry liqueur accented by subtle glove leather and white pepper. Juicy and racy with deep flavors of raspberry-blackberry fruit with a high note of wild strawberry, plush texture and medium-full, supple tannins; more white pepper emerges in the extended close. This is a hedonistic wine, perfect for ageing over the next 5 to 8 years. (187 cases)

HdV, 2004 Carneros – $60: Warm, fresh, appealing nose of mocha, dark plum, wild blackberry and brown spice with a black cherry high note. Velvety smooth and seamless with medium tannins and wonderfully concentrated black fruit flavors and underlying notes of game and lavender. A complex, elegant Syrah from the “grand cru” Hyde Vineyard. (936 cases)

Hill Climber, 2003 Monte Rosso, Sonoma Valley – $56: Demonstrating that this legendary vineyard grows great syrah as well as old vine zinfandel, Hill Climber comes from a small block of volcanic, iron-rich soils at nearly 1,400-feet elevation resulting in a structured and intense Syrah. Aromas of hazelnut, vanilla cream and ripe blackberry-black cherry fruit announce the nose. Rich and deeply concentrated on the palate with bold, opulent flavors of wild dark berries, complex mineral and spice notes, and dried lavender that are buoyed by balancing acidity and bolstered by medium-full tannins. (75 cases)

Melville, 2004 Donna’s, Santa Rita Hills – $32: Wildly fragrant, liqueur-rich nose of wild blackberry, boysenberry, fresh green herbs and freshly cracked black peppercorns. Velvety smooth and oh-so-juicy with medium tannins and copious raspberry-blackberry fruit accented by black pepper spice; finishes long and seamlessly. (367 cases)

Morgan, 2004 Tierra Mar, Monterey County – $40: Fragrant, distinctive aromas of blueberry and cassis, roasted meat drippings, lavender and white pepper. Plush, juicy and silky smooth in the mouth with a deep core of kirsch-like blackberry-blueberry fruit, this is scrumptious Syrah, enhanced by an excellent structure and ripe, medium-full tannins. (140 cases)

Rosenblum, 2004 Petite Sirah, Pickett Road, Napa Valley – $28: Smoother and richer than past vintages of Pickett Road at this stage – in fact, remarkably polished – with lovely, come-hither aromas of just-crushed blackberry and black pepper spice, mocha, rose petal and allspice. Deep, succulent flavors echo the nose, enhanced by a note of mushroom, and are harmonious and focused, leading to an extended peppery close. Firm tannins argue for a few years of cellaring. Sourced from two old vine vineyards at the foot of the Palisades Mountains near Calistoga. (890 cases)

Other Outstanding Syrahs, Petites & Rh?ne Blends

Bink Wines, 2003 Hawk’s Butte, Yorkville Highlands – $40 (350 cases)

Canihan Family, 2004 Sonoma Valley – $30 (170 cases)

Crane Brothers, 2003 Crane Ranch Vineyard, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley – $40 (280 cases)

Foley, 2004 Rancho Santa Rosa, Santa Rita Hills – $30 (566 cases)

Handley Cellars, 2003 Mendocino County – $20 (572 cases)

JC Cellars, 2004 Petite Syrah, Frediani Vineyard, Napa Valley – $45 (250 cases)

Jaffurs, 2003 Melville Vineyard, Santa Barbara County – $38 (256 cases)

Kenneth-Crawford, 2003 Lafond Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills – $30 (250 cases)

Lafond, 2003 Lafond Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills – $38 (87 cases)

L’Aventure, 2004 C?te ? C?te, Paso Robles – $75 (400 cases)

Longoria, 2003 Santa Barbara County – $25 (165 cases)

Madrigal, 2003 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley – $35 (1,700 cases)

Louis M. Martini, 2004 Monte Rosso, Sonoma Valley – $50 (250 cases)

Morgan, 2004 Cotes du Crow’s, Monterey – $18 (2,500 cases)

Novy Cellars, 2004 Judge Family Vineyard, Bennett Valley – $32 (321 cases)

Ojai, 2002 Melville Vineyards, Santa Rita Hills – $56 (400 cases)

Joseph Phelps, 2004 Le Mistral, Monterey County – $40 (4,000 cases)

Rosenblum, 2004 Hillside Vineyards, Sonoma County – $25 (2,700 cases)

Rosenblum, 2004 Petite Sirah Reserve, Rockpile Road Vineyard, Rockpile – $45 (825 cases)

Russian Hill, 2003 Top Block, Russian River Valley – $30: (192 cases)

St. Francis, 2003 Sonoma County – $19: (3,000 cases)

Tablas Creek, 2004 Espirit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles – $45 (3,250 cases)

Zaca Mesa, 2002 Santa Ynez Valley – $20 (6,078 cases)