Alex Hunt: Appealing roasted-fruit aromas are coated in a slightly sickly layer of vanilla on the nose. The palate starts bright and assertive, with plum/ mulberry fruit and a nice lick of tannin. But the vanilla sweetness drags on the finish. 85

Andrew Jefford: Saturated opaque black-red. Deep, spicy, meaty, earthy, bustling, and serious: This needs time to acquire harmony, but there is a huge amount on offer in here. It’s very dense, rich, close-grained, and tightly constructed on the palate; stupendous tannins but matched by long and penetrating fruits. Rich in style, built to the true California gauge, but totally uncaricaturial; it does that masterful swoop with real poise and finesse. And its allusive spectrum is very true to the inspirational seam, with sumptuous black fruits, sweet and savory notes, incense spice and fine citrus perfumes... An awesome effort here. There is ample oak, but the wine inside is so dense and long that it can carry it effortlessly. Compared to the rest of this Syrah cohort, this wine is pretty much out-of-sight better. It can be done! Bravo! 95

Peter Liem: This is youthful and constricted, its dark, berry-like flavors feeling coiled and wound up. It’s taut in structure and energetic in tone, and it feels as if it will develop in complexity and depth with a few more years of age. 90