Que Syrah Vineyard Syrah

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine presents a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears and no signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of blue, black and red fruits: blueberries, blackberries and Marionberries, olives, roasted meat, black pepper, purple flowers and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture seems a touch thin. Initial conclusions: this could be Syrah, Malbec, Gamay or Cabernet Franc from France or the United States. Because I felt the non-fruits leaned a bit more heavily, my final conclusion was Syrah from France, Northern Rhône, Côte Rôtie with a little age in a cooler vintage like 2014. Wow! This is really tasty stuff and so varietally correct. I shouldn’t be surprised. It seems like every time I taste Arnot Roberts, the quality is high. Already quite the charmer in its youth, the 2020 “Que Syrah” should drink well through 2035.

WotN. Been holding these, savory and big structure meets new world.

Forest floor, leather, tobacco. Natural wine-like funk. Bloody meat, raw salinity, grippy tannins. Still raw; opened one of the case to track evolution.

I’d like to give this a higher grade for the potential it has in a few years.

First vintage sans soufre. Complex sweet and savory. Some noted smoke from CA fires, though I did not.