Even better, with another notch on the richness scale, the 2011 Authenticity boasts fabulous aromatics of creme de cassis, black raspberry, toasted bread, licorice and crushed flowers to go with a full-bodied, decadent and yet seamless style on the palate. A blend of 66% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre and a splash of Viognier that was harvest at the end of October/early November and aged 17 months in 60% new French oak, it’s already hard to resist, but will evolve gracefully for over a decade. I was blown away by these 2011s from winemaker Jordan Fiorentini, and they showed uncommon depth and richness in the vintage. For the most part, they’re ready to go, yet should evolve gracefully. Moving on to the reds and starting with the 2011s, these showed beautifully from barrel, and didn’t disappoint from bottle. They’re up there with the creme de la creme of the vintage. The 2012s are tighter, with a chewier, savory tannin profile that will be something to watch. They’ll need a year or two in the cellar once released. Tel. (805) 237-2011; www.epochwines.com

Dense, firm and tannic, this is well-built, with a backbone of blackberry and black licorice. The tannins hang tight, but there's wiggle room on the finish, where the red fruit becomes more prominent. Drink now through 2022. – April 2014 (James Laube)

Once again, I find more complexity and greater layers of depth in the 2011 Authenticity than in the Ingenuity, Epoch's other Syrah-based wine from Paderewski. Savory herbs, tobacco, licorice and wild flowers are all woven together beautifully here. With time in the glass, gorgeous notes of raspberry jam, sage and rosemary take on greater prominence. The use of 45% whole clusters works very well here. This is a very pretty wine with plenty of upside potential. – July 2013 (Antonio Galloni)