91+ 2010 Michel-Schlumberger La Source Syrah (Dry Creek Valley) 11/2/13 ($32)
14.9%alc
Color: Deep black purple. (3.5) Bouquet: Concentrated blackberry liqueur-like fruit with leather and clove nuances. (3.0) Body: Heavyweight with excellent fruit, acidity and tannins. Coats the mouth nicely. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor with a little heat. Coffee lingers. (3.0)
Overall: An excellent young Syrah that's big and concentrated. Ripe blackberry liqueur fruit with a healthy dose of spicy oak make this drinkable now with a decant, but really needs a few years to integrate. Probably at its best in 4-6 years. This is much more of a California style than many past vintages, which tasted more Northern Rhone (the 2007 comes to mind). (16.0)
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