Appellation: AOC Cote-Rotie (Northern Rhone region)
 
Grape: Syrah (100%)
 
Farming: Organic (not certified)
 
Aromatics: Aromas of blackberries, strawberries, violets, citrus, blood orange as well as grilled bacon notes. Subtle earthiness and black pepper spices.
 
Palate: High tone vibrant black fruits, with a rich, round mid palate. Spice and earthy notes lead velvety tannins, and a long savoury finish. Even as a youthful wine it is already very approachable, a mix of power and finesse that make great wines beautiful in their youth and greater as they age.
 
About the wine: La Sybarine is a blend of 25-year-old Syrah from plots on decomposed granite from the Cote Rotie “blonde area” (Lieu dit Goutay and Mollard). 9 000 vines per hectares, with all fruit handpicked and 80% destemmed. In the winery, temperature controlled fermentation and daily punching down and pumping over during alcoholic fermentation. 15 days maceration. Aged 14 months in old French oak barrels. 
 
When to drink: Drink now or in the next 10 years.
 
Service: 14-15 degrees. Cabernet glass. Decant for 30 mins to 1 hour.
 
Food match: Slow cooked meat dish, grilled meat with roast vegetable, meat stew.
 
"The 2018 Cote Rotie La Sybarine is a larger production cuvée and is brought up all in neutral barrels. This saturated purple-hued 2018 offers up textbook notes of sweet red and black fruits, ground pepper, spring flowers, and hints of meatines. Medium-bodied, silky and seamless on the palate, it's a beautiful, elegant wine that's going to drink nicely right out of the gate and keep for over a decade. It should also be a great value."
Jeb Dunnuck, 91-93 points
 
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh: 94/100