Christophe often releases a magnum only Syrah (and he never tells which vineyards contribute) made with the idea of a Jamet Cote Rotie in mind. He succeeds admirably, and the 2017 Syrah Special #11 has meat and bacon fat galore as well as a beautiful core of blackberry fruits, leafy herbs, woodsmoke, and ground pepper. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and impressively textured on the palate, it has the fruit and purity to shine today as well as the balance and structure to evolve for 15+ years or more.

Made only in magnum, the 2017 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #11 comes from some of the exceptional vineyards that go into making some of the bottlings for Cayuse and Horsepower. Displaying with a pale ruby-colored edge, the wine unfolds its wings in the glass showing the elegance of Pinot Noir but with the savoriness of Syrah. Elements of crushed violets, sweet raspberry, lavender and rose petal all capture the attention first before showing subtle savory notions of black pepper, crushed rock and worn leather. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is framed by a well-balanced structure, with energetic acidity and mouthwatering tannins, before ending with a long, lingering finish. A brilliant idea to only bottle in magnum, which forces you to select the appropriate time to open and consume the bottle. Regardless, this is a winner. 481 cases produced.

Medium-deep red. Musky aromas of raspberry, smoked meat, roast coffee and underbrush lifted by peppery herbs and rose petal. Boasts lovely sweet red berry fruit complexity complicated by savory soil tones, herbs and black pepper. Thick and savory but nicely delineated; in fact, a bit more penetrating than the 2016 version, with the energy and tannic structure to evolve slowly. This wonderfully smooth, fine-grained Syrah finishes with serious palate-dusting tannins and excellent grip and length. Not a particularly fruity style but has more than enough fruit to balance its savory soil, pepper and herb elements. A superb vintage for this bottling. (bottled in magnums)

There no mistaking that this comes from the stones of Walla Walla Valley, with its outrageous aromas of funk, earth, black pepper, peat, black olive tapenade, charcuterie plate, sea breeze and potpourri-an aromatic tour de force. A silky, plush, savory, earthy palate follows, full of saline and charcuterie notes. The supremely long, intensely rich finish grabs you and shakes you, kicking it up a notch.