The nose is orange and vanilla with notes of nutmeg. The palate entry is immensely rich and flavorful with white currant, peach and baked apple. Beautiful weight and polish on the taffy-like finish.

Dry and sappy, this potent effort is heavily influenced by botanical flavors, to the point of being almost grassy. Dry extract and lemon/lime acidity keep the riper fruit flavors in check, but with ample breathing time the wine fills in with highlights of fresh peaches.

Jazzy and bright, with jammy blackberry and smoky meat aromas leading to layered flavors of plum, black olive and licorice.

Jazzy and bright, with jammy blackberry and smoky meat aromas leading to layered flavors of plum, black olive and licorice.

Fresh-pressed boysenberry, black plum and lavender show on the nose of this bottling by Adam Lee of Siduri, who recently sold both brands to Jackson Family Wines yet remains intimately involved. Framed by a silky structure, the palate conveys blackberry, soy and black-pepper flavors.

Dark purple. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented dark berry liqueur, cherry cola and violet pastille flavors show excellent clarity and emerging hints of licorice and olive. Deep blackberry, blueberry and bitter chocolate flavors are energized by zesty acidity and a hint of cracked pepper that adds spiciness to the back half. Expands and becomes sweeter on the finish, which features a lingering dark berry skin quality and harmonious tannins.

Bright violet. Ripe cherry and dark berries on the deeply perfumed, smoke-accented nose. Sappy, broad and supple, offering pliant blueberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter and livelier with aeration. Finishes sweet, youthfully tannic and long, displaying a late touch of vanilla and resonating smokiness.

None of Novy’s newly released Syrahs shy away from full ripeness nor does any make the slightest pretense to nuance, but, as a group, they are as rich and outgoing as any and this one from the well-regarded Garys’ Vineyard stands as the richest of them all. It is saturated in color and saturated in smell with dense, oak- sweetened flavors that are unsparing in very ripe, fully extracted, blackberry fruit, and, if purists might quibble that it is not quite as specific in varietal spice as it could be, few will find it wanting in stuffing and depth. It is nicely balanced for the very sizeable wine that it is, and its immense fruity extract serves to disguise its underlying tannins, but it needs a minimum of three or four years in the cellar and will easily grow and improve for at least twice that time.

Glass-staining purple. Vibrant, spice-tinged aromas of cherry compote and dark berries, with suggestions of olive, potpourri and smoky bacon. Juicy black and blue fruit flavors coat the palate, with a zesty mineral note and a suave floral quality contributing verve. Shows surprising vivacity for its heft, finishing with strong thrust and length and dusty, late-arriving tannins.

Bottled in January, the 2013 Syrah Sierra Mar Vineyard tastes like a quality St. Joseph, yet with a kiss of California fruit. It gives up lots of black raspberry fruit, pepper, olive and violet notes; it's medium-bodied, juicy, and fruit forward with outstanding concentration and length. Balanced, fresh and lively, it's a beauty to enjoy anytime over the coming 5-7 years.

Plump and ripe, this maintains balance and finesse, offering accents of blackberry and raspberry, with licorice, bittersweet chocolate and spice notes.

Plump and ripe, this maintains balance and finesse, offering accents of blackberry and raspberry, with licorice, bittersweet chocolate and spice notes.

Dried sage and a hint of saddle leather highlight this dry, dusty wine noteworthy for its bright, buoyant acidity and layering of red currant. It delivers plenty of full-bodied flavor within a complex, approachable experience.

Plump and polished, with bold raspberry and blueberry aromas and complex flavors of licorice, crushed stone and pepper.

Plump and polished, with bold raspberry and blueberry aromas and complex flavors of licorice, crushed stone and pepper.

A fleshy but gutsy Zin, with bold blackberry and licorice aromas and rich, layered flavors of blueberry and cherry, revealing accents of smoky cracked pepper and mineral.

Complex, integrated and soft, this wine from fellow winemaker Mike Officer’s historic site is lightly spiced in cinnamon and pepper. Dollops of vanilla and blackberry make themselves felt on the palate amid the zest.

The 2013 Zinfandel Russian River is a blend from three renowned sites for Zinfandel - Limerick Lane, Carlisle and Papera. At $20.00 a bottle, it’s a steal. The wine shows loads of briary blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, Asian spice, incense, licorice and roasted herbs. It’s ripe, full-bodied, with terrific fruit intensity and purity. The acidity brings everything into focus and gives the wine a zesty, powerful mouthfeel. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

A powerfully intense wine from an historic vineyard site, this has a surprisingly welcoming theme of tangy acidity behind the ripeness of the black and red fruit, the typical blackberry giving way to brighter notes of pomegranate and red cherry. The finish delivers a fistful of black pepper and back note of leather.

Supple and expressive, with a zesty complexity and black raspberry and blueberry flavors accented by smoky meat, white pepper and licorice notes.

Dark and potent, this deeply flavored red offers ripe and smoky blueberry, licorice and stony mineral notes that finish with dense tannins.

2016 RED WINE, GSM The nose is a fresh raspberry and savory tomato tapenade, bacon fat and blackberry with notes of loam. The palate entry is a ripe plum, loam, and bacon fat with a bright, lively finish.

This blends 36% Syrah, 23% Mourvèdre, 22% Viognier and 19% Grenache. A beautiful perfume of violet opens the proceedings, followed by white pepper, garrigue, lavender and meat. A high-toned midpalate tames the wine's richer, riper leanings that takes on a robust taste of strawberry leather before pepper comes back to dot the finish.

Medium-dark ruby color; attractive, deep, peppery, meaty, dark cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with notes of dried herbs and charred oak; full body; forward, rich, extracted, meaty, red and black fruit flavors; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. A big, rich, stylish wine that’s drinkable now and can be enjoyed over the next five plus years. Grapes were from the Arrowood Vineyard. Very highly recommended.