Alex Hunt: Wow—nothing to do with Syrah and everything to do with Christmas on the nose: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and orange peel. It’s a lovely aroma, which continues onto the palate, but the fact that the palate is dry (as it should be) sits uneasily with all those sweet-associated flavors. The overall effect is oddly austere, through power of expectation, and a lack of actual fruit flavor. 86

Andrew Jefford: Dark black-red. At last, as with [the Failla Syrah Fort Ross-Seaview 2013], we find in this wine some of the exotic citrus-grove scents that Syrah acquires in Languedoc and that are such an attractive contrast to the classic Rhône aromatic incarnations. This is much sweeter, more straightforward but also more beguiling than [the Failla Syrah], a scent of immediate charm. On the palate, it is a relatively simple, sweet-fruited, but perfumed wine with low acidity and some soft tannic support. A delicious bottle for short term drinking. 89

Peter Liem: Juicy and full in body, this is ripe and straightforward, with a bold presence on the palate. 89