2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Five Shooter Santa Barbara County

I have tasted the 2010 Syrah Five Shooter on numerous occasions, and it has never been anything less than stellar. A stunning, expressive bouquet melds into layers of dark fruit, black pepper, sage, menthol, minerals and spices, all supported by intense graphite and melted road tar undertones. The wine seems to gain intensity with time in the glass, leading to a huge, explosive, saline-infused finish. The 2010 Syrah Five Shooter is a stunner from Sine Qua Non. The blend is 85% Syrah, 5% Grenache, 5% Roussanne, 3% Petite Sirah and 2% Viognier, with a total of 20% whole clusters, that spent 22 months in French oak barrels, about 59% new. Review Date: July 2013

The 2010 Syrah Five Shooter is straight up gorgeous. A massive wine that somehow holds everything together, it offers a wild array of cassis, blackberry, white chocolate, underbrush and pepper that flows to a full-bodied, layered Syrah that has masses of fine tannin and enough substance to evolve for decades. A blend of 85% Syrah, 5% Grenache, 3% Petite Sirah, 5% Roussanne and 2% Viognier that was fermented with 20% whole cluster and aged 22 months in 59% new French oak, it opens up beautifully in the glass and should be decanted if drinking anytime soon. Drink 2015-2030. Review Date: August 2013