2010 Andrew Murray, Syrah “Watch Hill Vineyard” Santa Ynez Valley.
Andrew Murray’s wine are all delicious and well crafted and it has been a pleasure to taste them since the beginning, he’s been through a lot in the last ten years, but has came out of it all with a renewed enthusiasm and skill with the current line showing the fruits of the efforts. From top to bottom, regardless of vintage his latest set of wines are beautiful and lovely drinking wines, especially for me the Watch Hill Syrah with it’s dark moody complexities and lively palate his the mark perfectly. The nose starts with crushed rocks, violets, spicy herbs and black currant while the medium to full mouth flows with boysenberry, cassis, cherry and spiced plum with a touch of animal, lavender, pepper and saddle leather before a lingering finish of earth and fruit with subtle wood notes. Good balance and depth with enough acidic kicks to lift the wine, while silky tannin holds things in order, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
($27 Est.) 93+ Points, grapelive
