SINE QUA NON

2016 Ratsel 16 Syrah | Ventura, California 750ml

...The wine is like the most handsome prize fighter you've ever seen. If George Clooney were more muscle bound, more promiscuous, more committed and maybe a little snazzier, we might have named this wine after him. But alas he's not...so all I can say is that it is like a velvet or silk cloud roaming around your cavity, stroking your taste buds, your nose, your gray cells and your ego. It stays with you seemingly forever... | Manfred Krankl

...81% Syrah, 7% Mourvedre, 5% Petite Sirah, and the rest Viognier and Grenache, fermented with 47% whole clusters, the 2016 Syrah Ratsel 16 showed incredibly from barrel and it certainly doesn't disappoint from bottle. Pure perfection in Syrah, this beauty boasts a deep purple hue as well as a stacked bouquet of ripe blackberries, cured meats, scorched earth, white pepper, white chocolate, and bacon fat. Deep, full-bodied, and massively concentrated, it builds incrementally on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. I struggle to think of another wine that delivers this level of intensity without any sensation of weight or heaviness. The 2016s, in general, are relatively approachable, but nevertheless, do your best to hid bottles... | Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com, 100 points