Bottled in April of last year (as were all of the 2012 Syrahs), the 2012 Syrah Lorraine Vineyard has the classic sweetness and suppleness of this cuvee as well as tons of black raspberry, toasted bread, creamy licorice and floral notes. Full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless and polished, it stays nicely focused and straight on the palate and has incredible elegance for wine of this size. Drink it anytime over the coming 15-20 years.

Dark purple. Heady cherry, blackberry liqueur and violet pastille aromas are complicated by suggestions of cola, Indian spices and smoky minerals. Sappy, weighty and precise on the palate, offering deeply concentrated but energetic bitter cherry and dark berry flavors and an invigorating jolt of peppery spices. Closes with outstanding, mineral-driven persistence, a lingering suggestion of fruitcake and harmonious, slow-building tannins. The combination of power and vivacity here is really impressive.