2021 Halcon Estate Syrah Aux Choix

Vinous/Antonio Galloni 96 – “The 2021 Syrah Au Choix is a selection of the best barrels in the cellar. It offers up a heady mix of blackberry fruit, game, licorice, incense, cloves, lavender and black pepper. Readers will find a deep, explosively potent wine that captures the essence of cool-climate Syrah at elevation”

Audrey Fricke/Jeb Dunnuck 96 – “Structured and powerful, the 2021 Syrah Reserve comes from a single, isolated block, saw 100% whole clusters, and was raised in 500-liter French oak puncheons. It’s even more expressive, with aromas of boysenberry liqueur, cured meat, Kalamata olive, and coniferous herbs. Saturated and full-bodied, its gripping texture and savory meatiness through the palate are matched by fantastic balance in its fruit, which fills the palate with a long, even-keeled finish. I love its clean, yet rustic and raw Syrah character and outstanding mineral-tinged backbone. This has the bones to improve over the next 15 years and is well worth seeking out.”

James Suckling 96 – “Dark-fruited aromas of blackberries, blood plums, cassia bark and licorice. The palate is full-bodied with firmly framed tannins and tightly wound acidity, giving flavors of mulberries, black olive tapenade, graphite and cured meat. This wine is very serious and complex, made from own-rooted Chave clonal selection cuttings that are grown at 760 meters elevation. 100% whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold.”

Wine Advocate/Erin Brooks 95+ – “The 2021 Syrah Au Choix is a barrel selection bottled only in exceptional vintages. Matured in concrete and 500-liter French oak puncheons for 18 months, it has detailed, layered aromas of black currants, lilac, mint, olive tapenade, coffee and salami. The full-bodied palate offers explosive, layered flavors. It’s structured by powerful, powdery tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, dynamic finish. It will benefit from 5+ years in the cellar”