California

94 Points! Dark and inky in the glass, this estate bottling shows intense cassis and lavish violet aromas on the ripe, creamy nose. The palate is thick in texture but still shows compelling edges, offering roasted purple fruit, caramel cream and subtle vanilla flavors, making for a powerful expression. - Wine Enthusiast

92 Points! This wine has an inky purple hue in the glass and concentrated aromas of blackberry, bramble, boysenberry, dark plums, cinnamon, and violets. The palate mirrors the nose, with dark fruit intensity complemented by notes of tobacco leaf and cracked black pepper. Chalky tannins balance the wine, enabling it to pair beautifully with peppered steak or glazed pork tenderloin. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! The 2023 Syrah Sonoma Hillsides is one of the greatest wines I have tasted from Pax Mahle. The Hillsides is a blend of the best sites in the range, fermented in cement with whole clusters and also aged in cement. The long growing season resulted in a rich, heady wine with intense fruit and perfectly ripe tannins. Magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points! The 2023 Syrah Sonoma-Hillsides is a blend from the best parts of their vineyard sites, fermented and aged in concrete, with the only oak it sees coming from portions of the barrels of the vineyard designates. In the glass, it pours a deep purple color, revealing aromas of lavender oils, blackberry preserve, and sweet sage. At this tasting, the focus is more on its fruit than its savory tones, but these will undoubtedly emerge as it matures. It has a rich and noble structure, with full body, ripe tannins, and a long-lasting finish. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

98+ Points! In contrast, the 2021 Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard is more masculine and feral, with ripe black fruits, cracked black pepper, leather, iron, and spring flowers, and a certain bloody character developing with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it has a similar level of polish but is a touch more concentrated and lengthy on the palate, with ripe, building tannins and awesome length. Drink this spectacular Syrah over the coming 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The 2024 Syrah ODE is a stone-cold stunner. Powerfully extracted but completely weightless, it casts a dizzying number of layers and mind-bending complexity into your nose and onto your palate with complete confidence and utter grace. Blueberry, incense, oyster shell, lavender and chalk explode through the polished, precise statuesque finish. Truly impressive- there's not much else to say here. Hands-off Winemaking yielded a wine of sublime balance and resonant harmony. The 2024 spent just ten months in neutral oak with 45% whole clusters, native fermentations and no added sulfur. Vineyard sites are Bassi, Spanish Springs and Hi Kite. - Billy Norris, Vinous

96 Points! One of the most impressive wines I tasted from the San Luis Obispo Coast is the 2024 Syrah Ode, a compelling testament to Syrah's potential in the region that evokes Gonon Saint-Joseph by way of the Pacific Ocean. It is comprised predominantly of fruit from Bassi, with smaller additions from Spanish Springs and Hi-Kite. Off the bat, it displays Bassi's signature combination of intensely perfumed, floral energy mixed with distinctly umami-driven aromas of nori and soy, with a black- and blue-fruited backdrop, all delivered with crystalline purity. The texture is a paradoxical and impressive combination of ethereal energy, measured richness and enveloping elegance, culminating in a weightless, saturated and remarkably precise finish that lingers with saline, spice and floral notes. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

93 Points! All Syrah that was fermented with 65% whole clusters and aged in neutral wood, the 2022 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills is a riper, more sun-kissed expression compared to the 2023. Ripe red and black fruits, leather, sweet spices, and dried flowers all give this an Hermitage-like character, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love it today, yet it should cruise for a decade or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! The 2021 Syrah Santa Barbara County is scented of black raspberries, candied blackberries, cracked pepper, smoked meats and green olive. The medium-bodied palate is bright and chalky with restrained yet nuanced fruit and a long, latent finish. I would be inclined to drink it on the earlier side after a couple hours in a decanter, and its freshness will allow it to pair widely at the table. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

96 Points! More iron, ground pepper, charred meats, and tapenade notes emerge from the 2018 Syrah Block B, a rich, powerful, yet focused and elegant Syrah that does everything right. Offering plenty of chalky minerality, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish, this brilliant Syrah will keep for at least a decade. The wine is 100% Syrah that was mostly destemmed (28% whole clusters) and spent 19 months in 82% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Deep, shimmering purple. Potent, primary aromas of ripe dark berries, incense, violet, mocha and exotic spices take on a floral element as the wine opens up. Taut and chewy in the mouth, offering densely packed blackberry, cherry cola, allspice, vanilla and floral pastille flavors that show fine definition and mineral lift. The floral and spice notes repeat emphatically on a wonderfully long, penetrating finish shaped by steadily building tannins. Aged in French oak barrels and puncheons, 82% of them new. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

99 Points! Colgin's 2021 IX Estate is a rich, opulent example, with layers of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate punctuated by hints of sage and bay leaf, plus some vaguely floral notes (violets?). Full-bodied, concentrated, velvety and long, it's another terrific wine that showcases the potential of Pritchard Hill, the investment by the owners and the talent of the winemaking team. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

98+ Points! I'd wager a Napa Valley legend in the making, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Estate comes from the estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill, and if there was ever a classification of terroirs in the valley, this would check in near the top of the list. Deep purple-hued, with awesome aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and subtle floral hints, this has that rare mix of power and elegance that defines so many great wines. Full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced, it has no shortage of structure and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, to hit full maturity, where it will hold for 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Produced from a blend of three vineyard sites on the Sonoma Coast, this floral, seductively gamy Syrah highlights a piercing raspberry and cherry intensity etched with hints of rust and smoke. It is a bright-eyed yet complex and satisfying wine with a stirring backbone acidity. Remarkably powerful for just 12% abv. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! The 2021 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is ample and full-bodies, as most wines from this site are. Dark-toned fruit, leather, cedar, spice, menthol and dried flowers build nicely, leading to an expansive, broad finish. All of this fruit was destemmed, an approach that worked so well here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! The 2021 Syrah Kimsey Vineyard is all varietal (100% destemmed) that spent 22 months in just 13% new French oak. It has a beautiful, fruit-driven perfume of red and blue fruits, sandalwood, and exotic flowers. This carries to a plush, seamless, medium to full-bodied Syrah that picks up more meaty, gamey notes on the palate, has ripe, polished tannins, and just about flawless overall balance. It's another killer Syrah in the lineup. - Jeb Dunnuck

96+ Points! The 2021 Syrah Larner Vineyard comes from a great site in the middle of the Ballard Canyon and spent 22 months in 22% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a tighter, more closed, yet incredibly promising Syrah that has ripe blackberry and cassis fruits interwoven with peppery spice, dried herbs, leather, and some chalky minerality. This full-bodied, concentrated, structured, and brilliantly pure Syrah deserves 2-3 years of bottle age and will blow you away over the following decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2021 Syrah Larner Vineyard is a heady, racy wine. Ripe red cherry, spice, cedar, new leather and tobacco open first. A kiss of Viognier and a touch of new oak add an element of raciness to this sleek Syrah. The 2022 is so expressive and inviting. It's another superb wine from Jaffurs. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! Fermented with one-third whole clusters, the 2023 Syrah Estate exudes a lovely balance between high-toned energy and grounded depth. The nose is classically bright, savory and herbal before the palate takes a deep, darker-fruited turn, showcasing a beautiful, velvety texture supported by sturdy tannins. It finishes on a lifted yet weightless note with impressive precision. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

98 Points! A gorgeous cuvée from three cool-climate sites (50% Gail, 40% Nelson, and 10% Coastview), the tiny production 2023 Syrah Sandstone Terrace shows the terroir of what winemaker Sam Smith says is the prevailing soil type in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the inviting nuances of each place, some extremely cool-climate and others surrounded by redwoods. White pepper, garrigue, smoked meat, and iron are all there, expertly layered around a light-bodied frame of persistent freshness and complexity. The grapes were native-fermented 85% whole-cluster before spending 10 months in barrel, 95% of it neutral. The wine is elegant, composed, fruity, and gamey, as luxuriously inviting as blue velvet. Drink now through 2030. - Virginie Boone, JebDunnuck.com

98 Points! The 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is pure gold and one hell of an impressive Syrah that readers should snatch up. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blue fruits, cassis, ground pepper, violets, and smoked game, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, opulent mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. Coming from 100% destemmed Syrah that spent 19 months in 80% new French oak, it's going to blow you away any time over the coming decade, if not longer. - Jeb Dunnuck